Skólanum

Skólanum is the dative singular definite form of the Icelandic noun skóli, meaning “the school.” Icelandic nouns are inflected for case and number, and the definite article is expressed as a suffix. The form skólanum is used when the school is governed by a preposition or appears in a construction that requires the dative case, for example after a preposition such as í or til, or when indicating location with a definite reference.

In practice, skólanum contrasts with other forms of skóli, such as skóli (the school, indefinite) and skólinn (the school, definite in nominative and accusative). The dative singular definite form appears in sentences like Ég var í skólanum, meaning “I was in the school.” Icelandic relies on a system of four cases, and the dative is the case typically used after certain prepositions or to mark indirect relations, with skólanum serving as a standard example for this particular form.

Etymology and modern usage: skóli is a long-established Icelandic word derived from the Latin schola, via Old Norse and medieval Icelandic variants. Today, the term refers to the institution of schooling in general and is used in everyday language, education policy, and media. In Iceland’s education system, grunnskóli (comprehensive school) covers primary and lower secondary education, while framhaldsskóli (upper secondary) provides later levels; the word skóli remains central to discussions of schooling, campuses, and educational infrastructure. Skólanum, as a grammatical form, appears in texts where the school is the indirect object or location within a dative framework.