formúlunni

Formúlunni is the dative singular definite form of the Icelandic noun formúla, meaning "the formula." In Icelandic, nouns decline for case and number, and definite forms are produced with suffixes attached to the noun stem. The noun formúla belongs to the feminine gender, and formúlunni represents its dative singular definite form. This particular form appears in contexts where the formula is the indirect object or when a preposition governing the dative case is used.

The form is primarily encountered in linguistic description, academic writing, or carefully constructed prose rather than in everyday speech. In ordinary usage, speakers would choose the appropriate case form of formúla according to the syntactic role of the noun, such as nominative formúlan or other non-dative inflections, with formúlunni reserved for the dative definite context. As such, formúlunni serves as one example of Icelandic inflection patterns and the way definite forms are affected by case.

Etymology traces formúla to Latin formula, imported into Icelandic as part of the broader incorporation of mathematical and scholarly terminology. The dative singular definite form formúlunni reflects Icelandic’s pattern of attaching distinct suffixes to indicate both definiteness and case.

See also: formúla, formúlan, Icelandic grammar, Icelandic inflection.