Prefixes of sharing and restoring (sam- / endur-)

Icelandic expands its vocabulary using highly productive prefixes. Two of the most useful for describing social connections and past experiences are sam- (co-, shared) and endur- (re-, again).

Togetherness and Sharing (sam-)

The prefix sam- attaches to nouns to indicate a shared state, mutual association, or togetherness. For example, adding it to a word for a class or student creates the terms for a classmate (sambekkingur) or a fellow graduate (samstúdent).

I met my classmate yesterday.
Ég hitti sambekkinginn minn í gær.
My fellow graduate now works as a doctor.
Samstúdentinn minn vinnur núna sem læknir.

It is also used to form abstract nouns about communal experiences, such as group cohesion (samheldni) or a shared moment of time together (samverustund).

The cohesion in the group is incredible.
Samheldnin í hópnum er ótrúleg.
The time together with the family is always good.
Samverustundin með fjölskyldunni er alltaf góð.

Restoring and Returning (endur-)

The prefix endur- means "again" or "re-". It attaches to both nouns and verbs to describe returning to a place, repeating an action, or restoring a previous state. When catching up with old classmates, you might have a reunion (endurfundur) or celebrate a return (endurkoma).

The reunion was twice as fun as the party.
Endurfundurinn var helmingi skemmtilegri en partýið.
The return was incredibly exciting.
Endurkoman var ótrúlega spennandi.

Rekindling the Past

Because endur- can be attached to almost any action, it is incredibly useful for talking about looking back. You can rekindle (endurvekja) an old friendship, rediscover (enduruppgötva) a forgotten hobby, or simply re-evaluate (endurmeta) a situation.

We want to rekindle our friendship.
Við viljum endurvekja vináttuna okkar.
You must re-evaluate the situation.
Þú verður að endurmeta ástandið.
I want to rediscover my hobby.
Ég vil enduruppgötva áhugamálið mitt.

This prefix applies to our memories as well. A reminiscence or recollection is an endurminning (a "re-remembering").

The reminiscence is beautiful although the past is difficult.
Endurminningin er falleg þó að fortíðin sé erfið.