svörum

Svörum is an Icelandic word that functions as the dative plural form of the noun svar, meaning "answer" or "response." In Icelandic grammar, svörum is used when the noun is in the dative case, typically in constructions involving prepositions or verbs that govern a dative object. It contrasts with svör, the nominative plural form used when the noun functions as the subject or as a direct object in certain constructions.

The noun svar has a long history in the language, tracing back to Old Norse svar. The modern Icelandic plural svör emerges with a vowel change typical of the language’s declension patterns, and the dative plural ending -um is a common suffix in many neuter or mixed-gender nouns in contemporary Icelandic. This form is one of several inflected cases that enable more precise sentence structure without prepositions or extra words to indicate role.

Usage notes are that svörum appears mainly in contexts where the action involves giving, receiving, or referencing the set of answers in a dative sense. It is a standard part of everyday Icelandic and literary prose alike, and it can appear in both spoken and written language whenever the dative plural is required. Learners of Icelandic encounter svörum as part of mastering the noun svar’s full inflection. See also svar (the base noun) and Icelandic noun declension patterns for further context.