baðum

Baðum is an Icelandic linguistic form that arises from the noun bað, which means bath or bathroom. In Icelandic grammar, bað is a neuter noun, and baðum is described as an inflected form tied to the root bað. It is commonly presented as a dative plural form, used in contexts governed by the dative case or in certain older or formal constructions. As a grammatical variant, baðum does not carry a separate lexical meaning beyond that of the base noun; it serves to mark case and number in agreement with surrounding words.

The form reflects historical inflection patterns that trace back to Old Norse. The Icelandic paradigm for bað includes various endings to indicate case, number, and definiteness, and baðum represents one such ending in the inflectional system. Because of its place in grammar rather than as an independent term, baðum is typically encountered in linguistic descriptions, grammars, or discussions of syntax, rather than in everyday conversation.

Etymology and cognates link bað to Old Norse báð or related Germanic roots, with modern Icelandic retaining the general semantic core of “bath.” The related word baðhús refers to a bathhouse, illustrating a common theme in Icelandic terms connected to bathing and related spaces.

See also: bað, bath, baðhús.