einhverr

Einhverr is a word in Icelandic used as both a pronoun and a determiner to express indefiniteness, meaning "someone," "a certain person," or "anyone," depending on context. It signals that the identity of the person is unspecified or not important in the statement. The form is typically declined to agree with the noun it modifies or with its role as a pronoun, a pattern shared with many adjectives and determiners in Icelandic.

Etymology and range: Einhverr combines ein- (one) with hverr (who/which), producing a sense of “one of the people who.” The word is attested in modern Icelandic as einhvers, einhver, and related inflected forms, and it has cognates in Old Norse. In contemporary use, einhver can appear before a noun as a determiner (einhver maður, “a certain man / someone”) or stand as a pronoun in indefinite contexts (Ég hringdi í einhvern, “I called someone”). It can also form phrases such as hver sem er (“whoever”).

Historical context: Einhverr is also found in Old Norse and Icelandic literature, where it served a similar indefinite function in sagas, eddas, and poetry. In these texts, it often carries the same general sense of an unspecified or non-specific person, though the exact inflected forms reflect older grammatical patterns.

See also: Icelandic grammar, Old Norse language, indefinite pronouns.

Note: The article provides a concise overview of the term as used in Icelandic and its historical counterparts. For precise declension patterns and usage in different dialects, consult Icelandic grammar references.