althing: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Academic, Historical
Quick answer
What does “althing” mean?
The national parliament of Iceland, one of the world's oldest extant legislative assemblies.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The national parliament of Iceland, one of the world's oldest extant legislative assemblies.
Used historically or as a proper noun to refer specifically to Iceland's parliament. In a broader, rare historical sense, can refer to a general assembly or parliament of early Germanic peoples.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in usage. Capitalization conventions (the Althing vs. the althing) may vary slightly in historical texts.
Connotations
Primarily denotes Icelandic political sovereignty and a long, unbroken democratic tradition.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both varieties, appearing almost exclusively in contexts related to Icelandic/Nordic history, politics, or world government studies.
Grammar
How to Use “althing” in a Sentence
The [Proper Noun/Institution] + verb (e.g., convenes, sits, votes)[Proper Noun/Country]'s AlthingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “althing” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [No verb form]
American English
- [No verb form]
adverb
British English
- [No adverb form]
American English
- [No adverb form]
adjective
British English
- [No adjective form]
American English
- [No adjective form]
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in reports on Icelandic economic policy.
Academic
Common in history, political science, and Nordic studies.
Everyday
Virtually non-existent, except in Icelandic news or travel guides.
Technical
Used in specific historical and political discourse.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “althing”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “althing”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “althing”
- Mispronouncing as 'all-thing' /ˈɔːlˌθɪŋ/. The 'l' is dark, and the stress is on the first syllable.
- Failing to capitalize when referring to the specific Icelandic institution.
- Using as a common noun in modern contexts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, when referring specifically to the Icelandic parliament, it is a proper noun and should be capitalised (the Althing). In rare historical texts about Norse culture, a generic 'athing' or 'althing' might be lower case.
It derives from Old Norse 'alþingi', meaning 'general assembly' or 'whole assembly'.
The standard pronunciation is /ˈɑːlθɪŋ/ (UK) or /ˈɑlˌθɪŋ/ (US). The 'th' is as in 'thing', not 'the'.
Almost never in modern English. In historical studies, it might be used descriptively for similar assemblies among Germanic peoples, but the primary and overwhelming association is with Iceland.
The national parliament of Iceland, one of the world's oldest extant legislative assemblies.
Althing is usually formal, academic, historical in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'ALL the THINGS in Iceland are decided by the ALTHING.'
Conceptual Metaphor
A LIVING FOSSIL (representing ancient, continuous democracy).
Practice
Quiz
What is the Althing?