skilja

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse skilja, from Proto-Germanic *skiljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃɪlja/

Verb

skilja

1. to understand
2. to divide

Conjugation

Conjugation of skilja (group v-21-11)

infinitive	skilja
supine	skilt
	present	past
first singular	skilji/ skili	skildi/ skilti
second singular	skilur/ skilir	skildi/ skilti
third singular	skilur/ skilir	skildi/ skilti
plural	skilja	skildu/ skiltu
participle (a7/a5)1	skiljandi	skildur/ skiltur
	imperative
singular	skil!
plural	skiljið!

¹Only the past participle being declined.

Gothic

Romanization

skilja

1. romanization of 𐍃𐌺𐌹𐌻𐌾𐌰

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse skilja, from Proto-Germanic *skiljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈscɪlja/
• Rhymes: -ɪlja

Verb

skilja (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative skildi, supine skilið)

1. to separate [with accusative]

   Synonym: aðskilja

2. to understand [with accusative]

   Ég skil ekki.

   I don't understand.

   Fyrirgefðu, en ég skil ekki frönsku.

   I'm sorry but I don't understand French.

3. (intransitive) to divorce

   Synonym: slíta sambúð

Conjugation

skilja – active voice (germynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að skilja
supine sagnbót		skilið
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		skiljandi
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	skil	skildi		skilji	skildi
	þú	skilur	skildir		skiljir	skildir
	hann, hún, það	skilur	skildi		skilji	skildi
plural	við	skiljum	skildum		skiljum	skildum
	þið	skiljið	skilduð		skiljið	skilduð
	þeir, þær, þau	skilja	skildu		skilji	skildu
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	skil (þú), skildu
plural	þið	skiljið (þið), skiljiði1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

skiljast – mediopassive voice (miðmynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að skiljast
supine sagnbót		skilist
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		skiljandist (rare; see appendix)
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	skilst	skildist		skiljist	skildist
	þú	skilst	skildist		skiljist	skildist
	hann, hún, það	skilst	skildist		skiljist	skildist
plural	við	skiljumst	skildumst		skiljumst	skildumst
	þið	skiljist	skildust		skiljist	skildust
	þeir, þær, þau	skiljast	skildust		skiljist	skildust
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	skilst (þú), skilstu
plural	þið	skilist (þið), skilisti1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

skilinn — past participle (lýsingarháttur þátíðar)

strong declension (sterk beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	skilinn	skilin	skilið	skildir	skildar	skilin
accusative (þolfall)	skilinn	skilda	skilið	skilda	skildar	skilin
dative (þágufall)	skildum	skilinni	skildu	skildum	skildum	skildum
genitive (eignarfall)	skilins	skilinnar	skilins	skilinna	skilinna	skilinna
weak declension (veik beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	skildi	skilda	skilda	skildu	skildu	skildu
accusative (þolfall)	skilda	skildu	skilda	skildu	skildu	skildu
dative (þágufall)	skilda	skildu	skilda	skildu	skildu	skildu
genitive (eignarfall)	skilda	skildu	skilda	skildu	skildu	skildu

Synonyms

• (understand): botna í, sjá, undirstanda (obsolete)

Derived terms

• eiga skilinn (“to deserve something”)
• ég skil ekki
• segja skilið við (“to leave something, to put something behind one”)
• skilinn
• skilja að (“to divide in two”)
• skilja á milli (“to distinguish”)
• skilja eftir (“to leave something, to leave something behind”)
• skilja ekkert í (“to be unable to understand something, make no sense of something”)
• skilja frá (“to separate something from something else”)
• skilja hvað klukkan slær
• skilja mjólkina (“to separate milk and cream”)
• skilja sundur (“to take apart”)
• skilja undan (“to make an exception of”)
• skilja við (“to die”)
• skiljast
• skiljast að (“to part, to separate”)
• vera skildir að skiptum (“to have nothing to do with someone from now on”)

Anagrams

• klisja

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Old Norse skilja, from Proto-Germanic *skiljaną.

Alternative forms

• skilje (e-infinitive)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²ʃɪlja/, /²sçɪlja/

Verb

skilja (present tense skil, past tense skilde, past participle skilt, passive infinitive skiljast, present participle skiljande, imperative skil)

1. (transitive) to separate
2. (transitive) to divide
3. (reflexive) to differ (frå / from)
4. (reflexive) to divorce

Derived terms

• skiljast

Etymology 2

Noun

skilja n

1. definite plural of skilje

References

• “skilja” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *skiljaną (“to separate, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”). Compare Old Armenian ցելում (cʻelum). Cognate with Old English scylian, scielian (“to divide, separate”). More at skill.

Verb

skilja

1. to part, divide, separate
2. to break off, break up
3. to part company, take leave
4. to distinguish, discern
5. to understand, find out
6. to decide, settle
7. to set apart, reserve for one

Conjugation

Conjugation of skilja — active (weak class 1)

infinitive	skilja
present participle	skiljandi
past participle	skildr, skiliðr, skilinn
	indicative			subjunctive
	present	past		present	past
1st person singular	skil	skilda		skilja	skilda
2nd person singular	skilr	skildir		skilir	skildir
3rd person singular	skilr	skildi		skili	skildi
1st person plural	skiljum	skildum		skilim	skildim
2nd person plural	skilið	skilduð		skilið	skildið
3rd person plural	skilja	skildu		skili	skildi
imperative	present
2nd person singular	skil
1st person plural	skiljum
2nd person plural	skilið

Conjugation of skilja — mediopassive (weak class 1)

infinitive	skiljask
present participle	skiljandisk
past participle	skilzk, skilizk
	indicative			subjunctive
	present	past		present	past
1st person singular	skiljumk	skildumk		skiljumk	skildumk
2nd person singular	skilsk	skildisk		skilisk	skildisk
3rd person singular	skilsk	skildisk		skilisk	skildisk
1st person plural	skiljumsk	skildumsk		skilimsk	skildimsk
2nd person plural	skilizk	skilduzk		skilizk	skildizk
3rd person plural	skiljask	skildusk		skilisk	skildisk
imperative	present
2nd person singular	skilsk
1st person plural	skiljumsk
2nd person plural	skilizk

Descendants

• Icelandic: skilja
• Faroese: skilja
• Norwegian Nynorsk: skilja
• Old Swedish: skilia
  • Swedish: skilja
• Old Danish: skilia
  • Danish: skille
    • Norwegian Bokmål: skille

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910), “skilja”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish skilia, from Old Norse skilja, from Proto-Germanic *skiljaną (“to separate, limit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to split, cut”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²ɧɪlja/

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

skilja (present skiljer, preterite skilde or skiljde, supine skilt or skiljt, imperative skilj)

1. to separate; to cause to be separate

   skilja agnarna från vetet

   separate the wheat from the chaff

2. (often with på) to tell apart; to discern, to differentiate

   kunna skilja på höger och vänster

   be able to distinguish between right and left

   kunna skilja höger från vänster

   ditto

3. (often with på or åt) to separate, to distinguish (treat as different)

   skilja på två fenomen / skilja två fenomen åt

   separate two phenomena

4. (reflexive, sometimes with åt) to differ; to be different

   Äpplen och päron skiljer sig (åt) på så sätt att de är olika frukter

   Apples and pears differ in that they are different fruits

5. (reflexive) to divorce; to end one's marriage

   Synonym: skiljas

   De bestämde sig för att skilja sig

   They decided to get a divorce

Conjugation

Conjugation of skilja (weak)

	active		passive
infinitive	skilja		skiljas
supine	skilt		skilts
imperative	skilj		—
imper. plural1	skiljen		—
	present	past	present	past
indicative	skiljer	skilde	skiljs, skiljes	skildes
ind. plural1	skilja	skilde	skiljas	skildes
subjunctive2	skilje	skilde	skiljes	skildes
present participle		skiljande
past participle		skild

¹ Archaic. ² Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Derived terms

• avskilja
• frånskilja
• skilja åt
• skiljaktig
• skillnad
• skilsmässa
• särskilja
• tills döden skiljer oss åt (“till death do us part”)
• urskilja
• åtskilja
• åtskillnad

Related terms

• skiljas

References

• “skilja”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “skilja”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “skilja”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)