orðinu

Orðinu is the definite dative singular form of the Icelandic noun orð, meaning “the word.” In Icelandic, nouns inflect for case and definiteness, and orð follows the general pattern of neuter nouns ending in -ð. The base stem orð- combines with the dative ending to form orði in the simple dative, and with the definite suffix -inu to yield orðinu for the definite dative singular. The form thus marks both the dative case and that the word in question is specific.

The term is largely a grammatical form rather than a standalone lexical item. Its appearance signals that the noun is functioning in a dative role or is part of a prepositional phrase that governs the dative, or that the speaker intends a definite reference to a particular word. As such, orðinu is most often encountered in written Icelandic and in more formal contexts, including scholarly or grammatical discussions of syntax and morphology.

Etymology traces orð to Old Norse ord, with the modern Icelandic definite and case endings developing through historic inflectional changes. Like other neuter nouns of its class, orð exhibits predictable changes across cases, numbers, and definiteness, of which orðinu is one illustrative form.

See also: orð, Icelandic grammar, Icelandic declension.