nokkrir

Nokkrir is an Icelandic word that translates roughly to "some" or "a few" in English. It functions as a determiner or pronoun used to indicate an unspecified small number of items within a known group. The word is most commonly placed before plural nouns, as in nokkrir menn (a few men) or nokkrar konur (a few women). It can also appear in predicative constructions, such as there are a few left, where the exact count is not stated.

Etymology and inflection are tied to the base word nokkur, meaning “some” or “several.” Nokkrir inflects for gender and number, with masculine plural form nokkrir and feminine plural form nokkrar; neuter or other forms align with Icelandic agreement rules. The root nokkur is cognate with similar words in other Scandinavian languages, reflecting a shared Germanic heritage.

Usage notes include that nokkrir conveys approximation rather than precise counting. It is common in both spoken and written Icelandic and often appears in everyday conversation, journalism, and literature. It can be contrasted with exact numerals such as fjórir (four) to emphasize an unspecified quantity, or with broader quantifiers like margir (many) when a larger, indefinite amount is intended.

See also: Icelandic language, quantifiers in Icelandic.