Sérhverjum

Sérhverjum is an Icelandic term used in linguistics and historical texts to refer to a specific grammatical form of the distributive determiner meaning “every” or “each.” In traditional descriptions, sérhverjum is treated as the dative plural form of the determiner or adjective used to denote distributive reference to individuals within a group. The form signals that the action or reference applies to each member of a set rather than to the group as a whole.

Etymology and form: The word combines the components sér- (intensifying or reflexive element) and hver (each), yielding a compound meaning akin to “each and every one.” The suffix -jum is described in some grammars as part of the inflection pattern for certain distributive forms in older Icelandic, with sérhverjum appearing in contexts where the following noun is in the dative case.

Usage and status: Sérhverjum is largely seen as archaic or dialectal in modern Icelandic. Contemporary standard Icelandic tends to use simpler forms such as hverjum, or rephrases that avoid the specialized dative plural form. In linguistic works, sérhverjum is often cited to illustrate historical distributive patterns and the range of inflectional forms once available in the language.

Relation to related terms: The entry sits alongside other distributive forms such as sérhver (each, every) and various forms of hver (each), illustrating how Icelandic has expressed distributive meaning across different cases and numbers throughout its grammatical history.

See also: hver, sérhver, distributive determiners, Icelandic grammar.