ríkir

In a sentence

• Það ríkir þögn í herberginu.

  There is silence in the room.

  Here, 'ríkir' implies the presence or prevailing of something, in this case, silence.

• Hann ríkir í landinu eins og konungur.

  He reigns in the country like a king.

  In this sentence, 'ríkir' is used to describe someone who governs or rules, like a monarch.

• Ríkir hugrekki varð það sem bjargaði þeim.

  Prevailing courage was what saved them.

  Here, 'ríkir' describes the state or predominance of a trait, specifically courage.