Öldarinnar

Öldarinnar is the genitive singular definite form of the Icelandic noun öld, meaning century or era. The base word öld denotes a span of time that can refer to a calendar century or a broader historical era. As a genitive form, öldarinnar translates to “of the century” or “the century’s” and is used to link nouns to a particular century in prose and in titles.

In modern Icelandic, öld is common in historiography, journalism, and literature when the author wants to refer to a specific century. Phrases such as upphaf aldarinnar (“the beginning of the century”), rætur aldarinnar (“the roots of the century”), and frægð aldarinnar (“the century’s fame”) illustrate typical usage. The form is also seen in headlines and rhetorical expressions that treat a century as a single unit of analysis or memory.

Etymology: öld derives from Old Norse öld and is traced to the broader Germanic roots for time periods and ages. It is cognate with terms in other Germanic languages that denote age or era.

See also: öld, aldir, alda.