fæðunni

Fæðunni is the definite dative singular form of the Icelandic noun fæða, which means nourishment or food. In Icelandic, fæða can refer to what sustains living beings, ranging from daily sustenance to a broader sense of nourishment. The form fæðunni signals that the noun is definite and in the dative case.

In Icelandic grammar, fæða declines through grammatical cases, and the definite singular dative form is fæðunni. The base meaning remains the same, with the case marking indicating its role in a sentence, such as the indirect object or after certain prepositions that govern the dative. Because the dative is less prominent in modern everyday speech, the definite dative form appears relatively infrequently outside older or more formal texts.

Etymology traces fæða to Old Norse fæða, with cognates in related North Germanic languages. The word has long been used to denote nourishment, diet, and sustenance, and it appears in literary and historical Icelandic, as well as in discussions of diet and feeding in various contexts.

Usage and tone: In contemporary Icelandic, fæðunni is primarily encountered in literary, historical, or ritual contexts rather than in everyday conversation. Modern prose often relies on the base noun fæða or other wording, with the dative and definite forms appearing mainly in quotations, grammar descriptions, or specialized writing.

See also: fæða, Icelandic grammar, Icelandic declension.