sjálfstæðra

Sjálfstæðra is the genitive plural form of the Icelandic adjective sjálfstæður, meaning independent or autonomous. It is used when the noun it modifies is in the genitive plural, indicating “of independent [people, things, or groups].” The corresponding nominative forms are sjálfstæðir (masculine), sjálfstæðar (feminine), and sjálfstætt or sjálfstætt (neuter). In other words, sjálfstæðra represents the form the adjective takes to agree with nouns in genitive plural.

In Icelandic grammar, adjectives decline for gender, number, and case, and the genitive plural ending -ra is a common ending for strong declensions. The form appears in noun phrases such as “framboð sjálfstæðra aðila” meaning “the candidacies of independents,” or “ráðherrar sjálfstæðra ríkja” referring to ministers of independent states, depending on context and the head noun.

Usage and interpretation: the term is primarily encountered in linguistic discussions about Icelandic grammar or in political contexts where the independents are being described. It functions as a grammatical form rather than a standalone noun, though in some phrases it can be part of expressions designating a group of independents.

See also: Icelandic grammar, adjectives in Icelandic, genitive case, independent (sjálfstæði).