sérhverri

Sérhverri is an inflected form in Icelandic grammar. It is the dative singular feminine form of the determiner sérhverr, which means “each” or “every.” The form is used when a feminine noun in the dative case is modified by the determiner, for example when indicating distribution to members of a group.

Etymology and form: The word derives from sér (self) and hverr (each), a combination that appears in Old Norse and continues in modern Icelandic. Sérhverr and its inflected forms follow regular patterns for adjectives and determiners in Icelandic, adapting to gender, number, and case. The feminine dative singular ending -ri in sérhverri signals agreement with a feminine noun in that grammatical role.

Usage and example: Sérhverri is typically found in formal writing or older texts, and in careful contemporary Icelandic when precise dative marking is desired. An example is: Við deilum gjöfum til sérhverri konu. Translation: We distribute gifts to every woman. This illustrates how sérhverri modifies a feminine noun in the dative after a preposition.

Frequency and related forms: The form is not common in everyday speech, where speakers may opt for simpler constructions or other expressions of distributive meaning. Related forms exist for other genders and cases (e.g., masculine or neuter forms or different cases of the determiner), but sérhverri specifically denotes the feminine dative singular.

See also: sér, hverr, Icelandic grammar, distributive determiner.