nafnorði

Nafnorð is the term used in Icelandic grammar for the class of words that name people, places, things, or ideas. They form the core of noun phrases and can function as subjects, objects, or complements within sentences. Nafnorð can be personal or common, with proper nouns naming specific entities (such as a person or a city) and common nouns referring to general items or concepts.

In Icelandic, nafnorð inflect for gender, number, and case. There are three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. They appear in singular and plural, and they decline across four cases: nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive. The language also distinguishes definite and indefinite forms, and nafnorð take definite suffixes or determiners in many situations. Adjectives and determiners that modify a nafnorð agree with it in gender, number, case, and definiteness.

Nafnorð can be classified into different declension patterns, and this affects their endings in different cases and numbers. Some nouns are more strongly inflected, others more weakly; the choice of pattern influences how the noun interacts with verbs and adjectives in a sentence. Possession is typically shown by the genitive case or possessive suffixes used in broader contexts. Nafnorð also participate in compound formation and can combine with other words to form new terms.

Etymologically, nafnorð derives from Old Norse and cognate Germanic roots, literally meaning “name word.” The concept is a foundational element of Icelandic morphology and syntax, guiding agreement, article usage, and sentence structure.

See also: Icelandic grammar, parts of speech, noun.