samsæta

Icelandic

Etymology

Composed samur (same) +‎ -sæta (one who sits, is located), the latter part perhaps in this case newly derived from sæti (seat, position, place). Calque of English isotope, which is created from Ancient Greek ἴσος (ísos, equal, same) and τόπος (tópos, place), because the different isotopes of a chemical element occupy the same position in the periodic table of elements.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsam.saiːta/

Noun

samsæta f (genitive singular samsætu, nominative plural samsætur)

  1. (chemistry) an isotope
    Synonym: ísótópur
  2. (genetics) allele
    Synonym: genasamsæta

Declension

Declension of samsæta (feminine)
singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative samsæta samsætan samsætur samsæturnar
accusative samsætu samsætuna samsætur samsæturnar
dative samsætu samsætunni samsætum samsætunum
genitive samsætu samsætunnar samsæta, samsætna samsætanna, samsætnanna

Derived terms

  • geislasamsæta
  • geislavirk samsæta

References

  • Kristín Bjarnadóttir, editor (2002–2025), “samsæta”, in Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls [The Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies