hvaðan

Hvaðan is an Icelandic interrogative adverb meaning "from where" and is used to ask about origin or source. It is one of the standard wh-words in Icelandic and is common in everyday speech when people want to know where someone or something comes from.

In practice, hvaðan appears at the beginning of a question and is typically followed by a finite verb and the subject. Examples include Hvaðan ertu? meaning "Where are you from?" and Hvaðan kemur þetta? meaning "Where does this come from?" When origin is specified more explicitly, the noun phrase may be introduced with the preposition frá, as in Ég er frá Íslandi ("I am from Iceland").

Etymology and related forms: Hvaðan is part of the North Germanic family of wh-words. It is historically related to words in other Scandinavian languages that express origin, such as forms meaning "from where." In Icelandic, hvaðan is distinguished from hvar, which means "where" in a location sense. The two words reflect different questions: hvaðan for origin and hvar for location.

Usage notes: Hvaðan is used for questions about sources, origins, or provenance, including people, places, and things. The standard word order for wh-questions in Icelandic places the wh-word at the beginning, followed by the verb and then the subject, as in Hvaðan ertu? and Hvaðan kemur þetta? In replies, speakers typically state the origin with frá or with a copular construction, for example Ég er frá Íslandi. See also: hvar, hvenær, hvernig.