ákveðnir

Ákveðnir is an Icelandic adjective meaning "definite," "certain," or "particular," and it can also express a sense of personal resolution when referring to people, as in “ég er ákveðinn” (I am determined). The word signals that the noun it modifies is specific or has been identified in some way.

Etymology and meaning: Ákveðinn comes from the verb ákveða, meaning "to determine" or "to decide." It is historically linked to Old Norse and shares a semantic field with other Icelandic words related to definiteness and determination. In everyday language, it contrasts with indefinite expressions, signaling a known subset or a definite attribute.

Usage and grammar: Ákveðinn inflects for gender and number and is placed before the noun it modifies, much like the English "certain" or "definite." It can describe objects, places, or people. The word also has a broader sense when describing manner or approach, for example in phrases like “á ákveðinn hátt,” meaning “in a definite/particular manner.”

Examples:

- Það eru ákveðnir staðir í borginni sem vert er að skoða. (There are certain places in the city that are worth looking at.)

- Ég er ákveðinn að ná markmiðum mínum. (I am determined to achieve my goals.)

See also: óákveðinn (indefinite), determinate expressions in Icelandic, adjectives and agreement in Icelandic.

Note: Ákveðnir functions as part of a broader system of definiteness in Icelandic grammar and is commonly used in written and spoken Icelandic to specify a subset or to convey determination.