öðrum

öðrum is an inflected Icelandic word that functions as a form of the adjective annarr, meaning “other.” In modern Icelandic, öðrum is the form used when the noun it modifies is in the dative case, with the appropriate gender and number carried by the surrounding grammar. It commonly appears after prepositions that govern the dative, or in phrases where a dative construction is required.

Two familiar examples illustrate its use. Með öðrum means “with others,” where öðrum follows the preposition með. Í öðrum orðum means “in other words,” a standard scholarly or explanatory phrase. In both cases, the form shows its relationship to the noun it modifies through case rather than through a fixed position in the sentence.

Etymology and relationships: öðrum derives from the Old Norse form annarr, related to cognates in other Germanic languages. It is the same root that yields the English “other,” the Danish/ Norwegian equivalents, and related German forms, reflecting the shared heritage of the languages.

Usage notes: öðrum is a standard grammatical form in Icelandic dictionaries and grammar references. While common enough in written and formal speech, its use is primarily a matter of syntactic requirement (case agreement) rather than a semantic shift. Learners typically encounter it in phrases with prepositions or in comparative/good-writer contexts.

See also: annarr, Icelandic declension, Icelandic grammar, prepositional phrases in Icelandic.