Faðer

Faðer is a historical spelling of the word for “father” found in North Germanic languages, especially Old Norse and medieval Icelandic. In texts from that period the letter ð (eth) was used to denote the voiced dental fricative, a feature preserved in later Icelandic forms such as faðir. The specific spelling faðer appears in various manuscript contexts, reflecting earlier orthography and phonology.

The term derives from Proto-Germanic *fader, itself from the Proto-Indo-European root *pH₂tḗr, yielding a broad family of cognates across Europe (for example, English father, German Vater, Dutch vader, Swedish far). In the North Germanic branch, the initial f- and the dental consonant were retained, with subsequent shifts producing the modern Icelandic forms. In Icelandic, the common modern form is faðir, used both in everyday language and in religious texts.

Culturally, the word functions as a kinship term and as a honorific in religious language. In Icelandic Bible translations and liturgy, the phrase for “Our Father” is rendered as Faðir vor, illustrating both historical orthography and continued use in devotional contexts. The form faðer also appears in scholarly discussions of Old Norse phonology and orthography, illustrating how the language represented the same familial concept as its modern descendants.

See also: Germanic languages, Old Norse, Icelandic language, etymology of father, linguistic treatment of th- and eth letters.