Stöðugum

Stöðugum is the dative plural form of the Icelandic adjective stöðugur, meaning stable, steady, or constant. It is used when the noun it modifies is in the dative case and plural. In Icelandic, adjectives agree with nouns in gender, number and case; in the dative plural many strong adjectives take the ending -um, as in stöðugum mönnum or stöðugum kerfum.

Grammatical note: The form stöðugum appears in contexts where the noun is plural and in the dative case, often following prepositions that govern the dative or in constructions that require a dative attribution. The exact endings of adjectives in Icelandic depend on the definite status of the noun (definite vs. indefinite) and on the noun’s gender, but støðugum is the standard dative plural ending for a strong inflection.

Usage: The term is common in technical, economic, and general discourse to describe reliability, consistency, and predictability. It can refer to systems, processes, equipment, organizations, or conditions that exhibit stability over time, as well as to people or groups characterized by steadiness and dependability.

Etymology: The adjective stöðugur derives from Old Norse stöðugr, from stöð- meaning standing or fixed, with the typical Icelandic suffixes that form descriptive adjectives. The form stöðugum is the modern dative plural inflection used with plural nouns in that grammatical case.

See also: stöðugur, stöðugt, stöðugur/strong and weak inflections of Icelandic adjectives, Icelandic grammar on adjectives.