Feðr

Feðr is a historical North Germanic noun that means “father.” It appears in Old Norse texts as a variant spelling of the word for father and is primarily of philological interest today. In modern Icelandic, the standard word for father is faðir.

Etymology and relations: Feðr belongs to the Germanic family of terms for father. It is related to Proto-Germanic roots such as *fadir or *fadēr, and it has cognates across other Germanic languages, including Old English fæder and Old High German fater. The form feðr reflects an early orthographic and phonological stage, notably the use of the eth letter ð to represent a voiced dental fricative.

Usage and form: As a historical spelling or inflected form, feðr occurs in a limited set of Old Norse manuscripts and inscriptions. It is not the standard contemporary form in modern Scandinavian languages; rather, it is cited in linguistic and textual discussions to illustrate variation in ancient orthography and pronunciation.

Modern context: Today, the term for father in Icelandic is faðir, in Danish and Norwegian far or far (depending on dialect), and in Swedish far. Feðr is primarily encountered in academic discussions of Old Norse language, medieval manuscripts, and historical linguistics.

See also: Germanic language family; words for “father” in related languages; Old Norse language; Icelandic orthography.

Notes: The exact grammatical status and distribution of feðr within Old Norse texts can vary by manuscript and dialect, and it is one among several historical spellings used to render the same semantic core.