Þjoðirnar

Þjoðirnar is an Icelandic term that appears in some medieval and modern scholarly editions as a variant form of the more common þjóðirnar, meaning “the peoples” or “the nations.” In standard contemporary Icelandic, the definite plural is typically written as þjóðirnar. The form þjoðirnar is not a separate modern name for a specific group, but a linguistic variant that has appeared in historical texts and manuscripts.

Etymology and form. The word derives from the base þjóð, meaning people or nation. The plural form þjóðir carries the everyday sense of multiple peoples, while the definite plural suffix -nar yields þjóðirnar. Variants such as þjoðirnar reflect orthographic or editorial practices in earlier Icelandic and Old Norse manuscripts, where spelling conventions were not fully standardized.

Historical usage. In Icelandic and Norse-language sources, the plural term is used generically to refer to multiple peoples or tribes across regions such as Scandinavia, Iceland, and other areas involved in Norse-era contact. It does not designate a single political entity; rather, it functions as a broad ethnographic or ethnolinguistic category describing groups rather than a unified polity.

Modern interpretation. Today, scholars typically distinguish between the standard form þjóðirnar and historical or transcribed variants like þjoðirnar. The distinction helps clarify textual histories and orthographic practices in edition work. In general usage, þjóðirnar remains the common way to denote “the peoples” in Icelandic, whereas þjoðirnar appears chiefly as a historical orschriftal variant rather than a current designation for a specific group.