Ákveðnum

Ákveðnum is an inflected form of the Icelandic adjective ákveðinn, a word meaning "certain, definite, determined." It is used to modify nouns when the noun is in the dative case, typically after prepositions that govern the dative, such as á (on, at) or í (in). In Icelandic grammar, adjectives decline to reflect case, number, gender, and definiteness, and ákveðnum represents one of these specific inflected forms.

In modern Icelandic, ákveðnum mainly appears in phrases describing definite or specific instances in the dative singular. It often occurs in expressions related to time or place, where a certain moment, place, or period is being indicated. For example, in a phrase like á ákveðnum tíma, the adjective agrees with the masculine noun tíma (time) in its dative singular form.

Etymology and usage notes: the form ákveðnum is derived from the verb ákveða, meaning "to determine, decide." The adjective ákveðinn carries the sense of definiteness or specificity, and ákveðnum shows how that sense is morphologically encoded when the noun it modifies is in the dative case.

See also: Icelandic grammar, adjectives, definite and indefinite forms, dative case.