Rekningum

Rekningum is an Icelandic noun form that functions as the dative plural of rekningur. Rekningur most commonly means calculation, arithmetic, or reckoning, and rekningar can refer to multiple calculations or arithmetic tasks. Rekningum is used when the noun is the indirect object or when it appears after prepositions that require the dative case.

Etymology and sense

The word rekningur derives from the verb rekna, meaning to count or to reckon, which in turn comes from Old Norse roots and has cognates in other Nordic languages. The general sense of rekningur includes both the act of calculating and the result of such calculations, making it a core term in mathematics, accounting, and everyday computation.

Usage

In Icelandic texts, rekningur is used across educational, scientific, and financial contexts to discuss calculations or arithmetic procedures. The form rekningum specifically appears in phrases where the noun is governed by a dative construction, such as after certain prepositions or verbal expressions that require the dative case. While rekningur covers the concept of calculation in a broad sense, the nominative plural rekningar is typically used for “calculations” in general, whereas rekningum marks a grammatical case distinction.

Related terms

A commonly confused word is reikiningur or reikningur, which in Icelandic refers to a bill or invoice. These are distinct terms with different meanings, despite the similarity in spelling. Rekningur and its forms are primarily about arithmetic and calculation rather than billing.