Questions & Answers about Ég skolaði sigtið og byrjaði svo að hnoða deigið aftur.
What does sigtið mean exactly? Is it sieve, strainer, or sifter?
Sigti can cover several very similar things in English: sieve, strainer, or sifter. The exact best translation depends on context.
- in baking, sifter/sieve
- in the kitchen sink, often strainer
- more generally, something used to separate solids from finer material or liquid
So sigtið means the sieve/strainer/sifter.
Why do sigtið and deigið end in -ið?
That -ið is the definite article attached to the end of the noun. Icelandic often says the by adding an ending, instead of using a separate word.
So:
- sigti = a sieve / sieve
- sigtið = the sieve
and
- deig = dough
- deigið = the dough
Both of these nouns are neuter singular, and -ið is the normal definite ending here.
Why isn’t there a separate word for the?