ættbálkum
ættbálkum is an Icelandic term referring to a kin-based social unit centered on a common ancestry. Etymologically, it combines ætt, meaning lineage or clan, with bálkur, meaning bundle or group, conveying the idea of a group of households linked by blood or marriage.
Historically, ættbálkum were a foundational element of Norse and Icelandic social organization. Membership was inherited and
Composition and leadership within an ættbálkur varied, but the group generally functioned as a network of related
In modern usage, ættbálkum is primarily of historical and scholarly interest. Icelandic naming practices have long