þaðan

þaðan is an Icelandic adverb meaning "from there" or "from that place." It is used to indicate the origin of movement or the source of information in spatial descriptions and narrative, typically in relation to a place already referenced in the discourse.

Etymology and history: The form is inherited from the Old Icelandic period and is built from the demonstrative element that points to "that" plus a suffix used in adverbial expressions. In Icelandic, it functions as a standalone adverb rather than as a bound clitic, and it survives in contemporary usage alongside related spatial particles.

Usage: þaðan is commonly employed with verbs of motion or change of location to specify where someone or something comes from. It can also introduce the origin of something in more general descriptive contexts. The word is most often found in written Icelandic and in formal or narrative registers, though it remains part of the standard language.

Cognates and related terms: In other North Germanic languages, there are cognate forms that express a similar sense of origin from a place, such as Swedish därifrån, Norwegian derfra, and Danish derfra (from there). These reflect a common semantic lineage across the language family, though phonology and exact construction vary by language.

See also: þar (there), frá (from), derfra (from there in some North Germanic varieties).