fjórum

Fjórum is a grammatical form of the Icelandic numeral four. In Icelandic, numbers decline like adjectives, so fjórum represents the dative plural of the word for four (fjórir, fjórar, fjögur). It is used with nouns in the dative case and with prepositions that govern the dative; the form is generally the same across genders in the plural.

Etymology and related forms: Fjórum comes from Old Norse fjórir and is cognate with other North Germanic forms of the word four, such as Danish fire, Norwegian fire, and Swedish fyra. The dative plural fjórum is the standard form used in modern Icelandic in contexts requiring the dative.

Usage: Fjórum is commonly seen in time expressions and phrases that express duration or interval, especially with prepositions that require the dative. Examples include: Í fjórum dögum (in four days), Í fjórum mánuðum (in four months), and Í fjórum orðum (in four words). These constructions illustrate how the numeral interacts with the case system and prepositions rather than standing alone as a simple cardinal numeral.

Notes: Fjórum is not used as a simple standalone numeral in counting; rather, it functions within a grammatical framework that marks case and relation to other words. In everyday speech, it appears in combination with nouns and prepositions that demand the dative case.

See also: Icelandic language, cardinal numbers in Icelandic, Icelandic grammar.