ræddum

ræddum is a historical inflected form of the North Germanic adjective meaning “afraid” or “frightened.” It is attested as the dative plural form of the adjective ræddr/ hræddr in Old Norse and early Icelandic texts. In modern Icelandic, the standard form for the adjective is hræddur (masculine singular), with hræddir and similar endings for other numbers and genders; the dative plural would be hræddum in contemporary usage. The form ræddum appears in older manuscripts and dialectal writings, reflecting older phonological and orthographic conventions, such as the omission or alteration of the initial h in certain periods or varieties.

Etymology and related forms

The adjective is rooted in Proto-Nordic and Proto-Germanic concepts of fear. In modern Icelandic and other North Germanic languages, related words include hræddur (Icelandic) and rädd (Swedish), both derived from the same historical element meaning “afraid.” The specific form ræddum represents a historical declension pattern in which the stem form without the modern initial h appears in the dative plural.

Grammatical notes

Ræddum is a case and number form rather than a standalone lexeme in contemporary usage. Its appearance is primarily in historical texts or dialectal contexts. In standard modern Icelandic, one would encounter hræddum as the dative plural of the modern form hræddr/ hræddur, depending on the grammatical system of the text.

Usage

Today, ræddum is mostly of interest to students of Old Norse, historical Icelandic, and comparative Germanic linguistics. It is not common in contemporary, everyday Icelandic prose.

See also

hræddur, ræddr, Old Norse adjective declension, Icelandic grammar.