gæði

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse gœði f with gender/number shift, from Proto-Germanic *gōdį̄ f (“goodness”). Cognate with German Güte and Gothic 𐌲𐍉𐌳𐌴𐌹 (gōdei). By surface analysis, góður (“good”) +‎ -i n (abstract noun suffix).^[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈcaiːðɪ/
Rhymes: -aiːðɪ

Noun

gæði n pl (plural only, genitive plural gæða)

quality
Synonym: vörugæði

Þessir skór eru rándýrir miðað við gæði. ― These shoes are overpriced relative to their quality.

Declension

Declension of *gæði* (pl-only neuter)
	plural
	indefinite	definite
nominative	gæði	gæðin
accusative	gæði	gæðin
dative	gæðum	gæðunum
genitive	gæða	gæðanna

Derived terms

gæði as first element

lífsgæði (“quality of life”)
loftgæði (“air quality”)
siðgæði (“morality”)
myndgæði (“image quality”)
þolgæði (“perseverance”)
landgæði (“land quality (for agriculture)”)
vörugæði (“quality (of wares)”)

gæði as second element

gæðaflokkur m (“quality class”)
gæðastund f (“quality time”)
gæðaeftirlit n (“quality controll”)
gæðakrafa f (“quality requirement”)
gæðavara f (“quality product”)
gæðastjórnun f (“quality management”)

Related terms

góður (“good”)
gæða (“to endow”)
gæðingur m (“favourite”)

References

^ Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), “gæða”, in Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN, page 292 (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)

Further reading

“gæði” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)
Kristín Bjarnadóttir, editor (2002–2026), “gæði”, in Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls [The Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies