mellufær

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Icelandic

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Etymology

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From mella (whore) +‎ fær (capable), probably originally in the meaning of "to speak a language well enough to be able to request the services of prostitutes" rather than "to be as capable as a whore". Today the word however only means "minimally capable" and usually does not evoke imagery of prostitution to listeners.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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mellufær (not comparable)

  1. (informal) to have some minimum necessary amount of knowledge in a foreign language to be able to communicate effectively
    Æ, ég er svona mellufær í þýsku.Well, I can communicate in German.
  2. (informal, by extension of the above) to have some minimum necessary amount of skill to be able to do something effectively
    Hann er mellufær á trommur.He can play the drums, but he's not exactly an advanced player.

Inflection

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