þjóðfélagslegar

Þjóðfélagslegar is an Icelandic adjective form meaning “sociological” or “societal” when describing feminine plural nouns. It is the feminine plural form of þjóðfélagslegur, used to modify nouns that are feminine and plural, for example, þjóðfélagslegar rannsóknir (sociological studies) or þjóðfélagslegar aðstæður (societal conditions).

Etymology and usage: The word derives from the noun þjóðfélag (society) combined with the adjectival suffix -leg- to create an adjective meaning related to society. In Icelandic, adjectives inflect for gender and number, so the same root appears in different forms depending on the noun it modifies. Þjóðfélagslegar commonly appears in academic, policy, and social-science discourse to denote topics, analyses, or conditions viewed through a sociological lens.

Notes on meaning: Þjóðfélagslegar carries a more formal, scholarly nuance than everyday terms for “social.” It is used to discuss structures, institutions, and processes that shape a society, rather than individual or intimate social relations. In contrast, felling closer to everyday “social” is often conveyed by other words like félagslegur or related phrases, depending on context.

See also: þjóðfélag, félagsfræði, félagsmál, félagslegur.

References: Icelandic linguistic resources and dictionaries provide the form and usage in composition with other nouns.