ösku

æsku is a noun form used in Icelandic. It is the genitive singular of æska, a feminine noun meaning childhood or youth. In modern Icelandic, æska denotes the early period of life, and the word appears in both general discussion of childhood and in literary or biographical contexts. The most common standalone usage is in phrases such as í æsku, meaning “in childhood.”

Linguistically, æska exists as an entry in Old Norse and has been preserved in Icelandic. The form æsku serves as the genitive singular (and can appear in oblique cases in sentences). While æsku functions primarily as a grammatical inflection, the underlying lexical item æska describes the concept of childhood. The term is used similarly to childhood concepts in many languages and is often encountered in discussions of development, education, and historical life stages.

In broader usage, æska as a concept touches on how societies envisage early life, growth, and formation of personal or national identity. In Icelandic literature and historical writing, references to æska can frame discussions of childhood experiences, education systems, and the social roles assigned to young people.

See also: childhood, Icelandic language, linguistics of noun cases.