Hálfu

Hálfu is a linguistic term that denotes the concept of “half” in several Germanic languages, most notably Icelandic. In Icelandic, the word is closely related to other forms that express half, and it appears in mathematical, temporal, and proportional contexts. As a grammatical form, hálfu is one of the inflected variants of the core word that expresses division or partial quantity.

Etymology and cognates

Hálfu originates from the Proto-Germanic root *halbaz, a common source for the word “half” across Germanic languages. Related forms appear in Old Norse and various modern languages, including English half, German halb, Swedish halv, and Danish halv. The Icelandic family preserves this root with its own system of inflection and usage rules, adapting the form to fit grammatical case, number, and gender.

Forms and usage

In practice, hálfu functions as a variant of the base term used in specific grammatical contexts within Icelandic sentences. The concept it conveys is straightforward—half of a quantity or a portion—but its exact form changes with sentence structure. The broader term hálfur is the canonical noun for “half,” with hálfu occupying a positional or case-specific role in connected speech.

Cultural and linguistic notes

Hálfu and its related forms illustrate how Germanic languages encode ratios and fractions through inflection. The word appears in arithmetic explanations, time expressions, and discussions of portions, reflecting a shared linguistic heritage across Northern European languages.

See also

Half (disambiguation), Fractions, Proto-Germanic, Icelandic grammar.