alþingi (ON) noun

The Icelandic General Assembly held annually at Þingvellir in the Southwestern part of the island. According to Íslendingabók it was instituted by Ulfljótr in 930, taking over the regional assembly at Kjalarnes. Afterwards the courts of the General Assembly, the Quarter Courts (ON fjórðungsdómar) and the Fifth Court (ON fimmtardómr), functioned as the highest courts in Iceland. All chieftains (ON goðar) were required to attend the General Assembly, and each could demand the presence of one ninth of all householders in his assembly group as well. Until 1271 the General Assembly was also the legislative seat of government in the form of the Law Council (ON lögrétta). Afterwards the assembly was administered by royal officials. The alþingi was abolished in (1798? – LexMA; the nineteenth century? – CV; the first decades of the eighteenth century? – KLNM) but subsequently reformed as the modern Icelandic parliament in Reykjavík. The Faroese General Assembly is also called alþingi in Seyð and presumably refers to the precursor to the Faroese Løgting.

CV; Fritzner; GAO s.v. Ding; KLNM s.v. alþingi; LexMA s.v. Allthing; MSE s.v. alþingi