Learn Icelandic: Dulmálið er mjög torráðið. - The cipher is very hard to decipher.

It combines the prefix tor-, which means "with difficulty" or "hard to", and ráðið, the neuter past participle of the verb ráða (to solve or figure out). Together, it literally means "hard to figure out".

Why does torráðið end in -ið?

Because it acts as an adjective describing dulmálið, which is a neuter singular noun. The ending -ið is the neuter singular nominative form of the past participle. If the subject were a masculine noun, like kóðinn (the code), the adjective would become torráðinn.

The verb ráða often means "to advise" or "to control". How does it mean "decipher" here?

Ráða is a highly versatile verb. While you might know it as "to advise" or "to hire", when it is applied to puzzles, codes, runes, or dreams, it means "to solve", "to interpret", or "to figure out".

What are the parts of the word dulmálið?

It is made up of the prefix dul-, which is related to the verb dylja (to conceal or hide), and málið (the language). Literally meaning "the hidden language", it is the standard Icelandic word for a cipher or secret code.