fólksins

Fólksins is a grammatical form in Icelandic meaning "of the people" or "the people’s." It is the genitive form used to indicate possession or association with a population, and it appears in formal, legal, and literary contexts when speaking about collective rights, authority, or identity.

Origin and form. The noun fólk means "people." Its genitive form is fólks, and when used with the definite article to express possession or belonging to a specific population, the form becomes fólksins. This construction is common in phrases such as réttindi fólksins (the rights of the people) or stjón fólksins (the government of the people). The exact declension pattern is part of Icelandic grammar and mirrors how other definite genitives are formed.

Usage. Fólksins is used in a variety of registers, from constitutional and political language to literature and journalism, to emphasize collective belonging or sovereignty of the populace. It often appears in discussions of democracy, civil rights, and public institutions, where the focus is on what belongs to or is governed by the people.

Limitations. While widespread, the phrase is most natural in formal or rhetorical contexts. In everyday speech, speakers may opt for simpler constructions or alternative expressions depending on the emphasis and regional variation.

See also. Icelandic language; genitive case; democracy; political vocabulary.