kvenna

Kvenna is an Icelandic term that functions as the genitive plural form of kona (woman). It translates roughly as “of women” or “women’s.” In modern Icelandic, kvenna is used in noun phrases to indicate possession, association, or attribution relating to women. For example, in compound terms such as kvennafélag, the word kvenna serves as the descriptive element that signals the group or organization is for women; this pattern is common in forming nouns that denote groups, organizations, or movements focused on women, though exact spellings and usages follow standard grammar rules.

The form is primarily a grammatical construction rather than a standalone noun. It is distinct from the nominative plural konur (women) and from the definite forms of related nouns, and it appears most often in contexts requiring a genitive or possessive sense. In Icelandic-language usage, kvenna appears as a stem that combines with other words to create titles, descriptions, and names that translate to “women’s” or “of women.”

As a linguistic example, kvenna demonstrates how Icelandic uses the genitive plural to express possession and association. This pattern is common in many Germanic languages, though the specific inflectional forms differ across languages.

See also: Icelandic language, genitive case, kona, konur.