Hlutnum

Hlutnum is a grammatical form in the Icelandic language. It is the dative singular form of the noun hlutur, which means “thing” or “object.” The form is used in contexts where the noun functions as the indirect object, recipient, or is governed by certain prepositions.

In Icelandic syntax, the dative case marks relations such as the recipient of an action or the noun governed by a preposition that requires the dative. The appearance of hlutnum reflects how case inflection signals these roles rather than relying on word order alone. As with other Icelandic nouns, the use of hlutnum interacts with definite and indefinite aspect of the noun and with surrounding articles or adjectives.

Historically, hlutur derives from older Norse forms that developed into the modern Icelandic noun, with hlutnum functioning as the standard dative singular form in contemporary usage. While the form is most often encountered in formal or written Icelandic, it also appears in traditional and historical texts where case distinction remains explicit.

Usage notes emphasize that Icelandic relies on case to convey semantic relations, so hlutnum typically surfaces in sentences where the noun is not the primary subject or direct object but relates to an action through the indirect object role or a compatible preposition. Understanding hlutnum helps in parsing sentence structure and in learning noun declension patterns in Icelandic.

See also: Icelandic grammar, Dative case, Noun declension, hlutur.