Óbreyttur

Óbreyttur is an Icelandic adjective meaning “unchanged” or “unaltered.” It describes things that have not been modified from their original state and is used in everyday language as well as in legal, archival, and scientific contexts. The word is formed from breyttur, meaning “changed,” with the negating prefix ó-, so literally “not changed.” Like other Icelandic adjectives, its form inflects to agree with gender, number, and definiteness of the noun it modifies.

Common usages include: óbreytt gögn (unaltered data or documents), óbreytt landslag (unmodified landscape), and óbreyttur texti (the original text). In archival and data-management contexts, the term distinguishes material that has not been altered since its creation from copies or revised versions. In journalism or literary contexts, it may indicate that a quote, manuscript, or source has been preserved in its original form.

Etymology: the term is built from breyta “to change” with the negative prefix ó-, reflecting a standard Icelandic method of negating adjectives and participles.

Grammatical usage follows standard Icelandic adjective inflection rules, with the form adapting to the gender, number, and definiteness of the noun it modifies. Related terms include breyttur (changed) and breyting (change), which contrast with óbreyttur in discussions of data integrity, authenticity, and preservation. The term is primarily used in Icelandic-language writing and scholarship to denote fidelity to the original state of material.