óháðum

Óháðum is the dative plural form of the Icelandic adjective óháður, meaning “independent” or “unaffiliated.” Óháður denotes not being bound to, dependent on, or belonging to a particular party, organization, or external influence. In Icelandic, adjectives decline for gender, number, and case, and óháðum is used when the noun it modifies is plural and in the dative case. For example: samráð með óháðum aðilum, meaning “consultations with independent parties/actors.”

The base form óháður is used in the nominative singular and other cases, while óháðum appears specifically in the dative plural context. The word can function in political or organizational language to describe people or groups without party affiliation or external constraint. In political discourse, descriptors like óháðir (independent) are common for candidates or representatives; óháðum appears when the surrounding noun is plural and in the dative, as in the example above.

Etymology: the adjective is formed with the prefix ó- attached to háður, itself meaning bound to or dependent on; the prefix negates the sense, yielding “not bound to” or “independent.”

See also: óháður, independent; unaffiliated; Icelandic adjective declensions.

Notes: Óháðum is primarily a grammatical form used within sentences. It is not typically treated as a standalone term outside a specific syntactic context, but it appears in dictionaries and grammar descriptions to illustrate how óháður declines in the dative plural.