fróður

Fróður is an Icelandic adjective meaning wise, learned, or knowledgeable. It derives from Old Norse fróðr, which carried a similar sense of knowledge and learning. In modern Icelandic, fróður retains the core meaning of possessing extensive knowledge or good judgment and is commonly used to describe people who are well informed or prudent.

The word is attested across North Germanic languages in related forms, reflecting a shared emphasis on learning and wisdom in the historical lexicon. Derived terms in Icelandic include fróðleikur, referring to erudition or knowledge, and fróðleiki, denoting the quality of being learned or knowledgeable.

In addition to everyday use, fróður has historical occurrences as a masculine given name in Icelandic and Old Norse sources, though the more common personal-name form in medieval texts is Fróði. In literature, the term can function as an epithet or descriptor for wise counselors and learned men.

Overall, fróður remains a standard term in Icelandic for describing intellectual cultivatedness and sagacity, closely tied to its Old Norse roots and its related noun forms that express knowledge and erudition.