Þessir

Þessir is a demonstrative determiner and pronoun in Icelandic (and in Old Norse) meaning “these.” It is used to refer to multiple items or people that are near the speaker or that have already been mentioned in the discourse. In modern Icelandic, the form is masculine plural and it typically accompanies a noun, as in Þessir menn koma, “These men are coming.”

Morphology and usage

Þessir is the masculine plural form of the demonstrative system that includes forms for other genders in the plural as well. It agrees with the gender of the noun it modifies or stands with when used as a pronoun. As with other Icelandic demonstratives, its exact case endings vary with syntactic position (subject, object, etc.), and it can appear in both determiner and pronoun functions. Commonly, it appears directly before the noun it modifies in noun phrases, or it can stand as a pronoun referring to a previously identified group.

Origin and cognates

Þessir derives from the Old Norse demonstrative system and shares its roots with other Germanic languages. Cognates in contemporary Nordic languages include Danish disse and Norwegian disse (these), and Swedish dessa. The form reflects a shared Germanic lineage for the proximal demonstratives meaning “these.”

Usage notes

Þessir is used for near reference and for emphasis on a specific set of items. It is part of a broader system of demonstratives in Icelandic that distinguishes near and far reference and gendered forms. In modern Icelandic, it is common in written and spoken language and can appear in literary, journalistic, and everyday contexts.