þröskuldurinn

þröskuldurinn is the definite singular form of the Icelandic masculine noun þröskuldur, meaning the threshold or door sill. It denotes the boundary between interior and exterior at a doorway and can also be used metaphorically to indicate the point at which one enters a new space, phase, or situation.

The indefinite singular form is þröskuldur, and the plural is þröskuldar, with the definite plural typically þröskuldarnir. The word is of Old Norse origin, with cognates in other North Germanic languages. While the exact etymology is uncertain, it is generally understood to refer to a boundary or limit and has been used in Icelandic literary and everyday language since medieval times.

Usage and context: In everyday Icelandic, the phrase fara yfir þröskuldinn means to enter a house or to begin a new stage in life. In architecture and construction, þröskullur or þröskuldur refers to a physical threshold, often a sill or strip at a doorway, made of wood, stone, or metal. The term can appear in both practical descriptions of buildings and figurative expressions about crossing thresholds in various endeavors.

See also: threshold (architecture); crossing a threshold (metaphor).