staðlum

Staðlum is the dative plural form of the Icelandic noun staðull, meaning a standard, norm, or benchmark. In Icelandic grammar, staðull is a masculine noun; its nominative plural is staðlar, while the dative plural is staðlum. The form staðlum appears when the noun is used as the indirect object or the object of a preposition that requires the dative case, typically in formal or technical contexts.

Etymology and meaning: The word derives from Old Norse and is cognate with similar terms in other Scandinavian languages that denote a standard or benchmark. In contemporary Icelandic, staðull broadly refers to an established criterion or rule used to evaluate or regulate practices, products, or procedures. The plural dative form staðlum is thus encountered in phrases where several standards are referenced as the targets of an action or the objects of a prepositional phrase.

Usage: Staðlum is primarily found in formal, regulatory, technical, or academic writing. It appears in contexts where standards or norms are discussed as items affected by a verb or preposition that governs the dative case. Outside of these contexts, speakers will typically use nominative or other forms of the noun.

See also: Icelandic language, Noun inflection in Icelandic, Standardization, Regulation and compliance, Lexicon of Icelandic terms.

Note: This article focuses on the grammatical form and general usage of staðlum as the dative plural of staðull. Specific definitions of individual standards or norms depend on the governing domain and the surrounding text.