Þínir

Þínir is the second-person plural possessive determiner in Icelandic, meaning “yours” when referring to something belonging to the people addressed. It is used directly before a noun to mark possession and agrees with the noun in gender and number. The form þínir is the masculine plural nominative and accusative, as in þínir vinir, “your friends.”

Because Icelandic possessive determiners decline by gender and number, other forms exist for different head nouns. The determiner is used attributively, modifying a noun rather than standing alone as a pronoun in most sentences. In practice, speakers choose the form that matches the noun it modifies (for example, feminine or neuter forms for other noun classes). The general rule is that the possessive determiner mirrors the noun’s gender and number within the phrase.

Etymology and history: Þínir derives from the older Icelandic/Old Norse second-person possessive base þín, connected to related forms in other North Germanic languages. The plural ending on þínir developed through regular inflection patterns in Icelandic, producing a distinct masculine plural form that accompanies masculine plural nouns.

In summary, þínir functions as a growingly common possessive determiner in modern Icelandic, used to attribute ownership to the plural “you” and to harmonize with the gender and number of the noun it modifies.