þess

þess is a genitive form found in Icelandic and its historical predecessor, Old Norse. It functions as the genitive singular of demonstratives such as sá (that) and þessi (this), and is used to mark possession or a relational connection, roughly translating to “of that,” “of this,” or “of it” in English. In Old Norse texts and in older Icelandic usages, es­s forms like þetta, þessi, and sá appear with genitive forms such as þess in various constructions.

Etymology and cognates: The form þess comes from the common Proto-Germanic demonstrative system that also produced Old English þæs, a genitive form meaning “of that.” Icelandic preserved the thorn letter þ (thorn), while its modern spelling reflects medieval and early modern phonology and inflectional patterns. The emergence of umgesetzt forms like þess illustrates the shared Germanic heritage of demonstratives across languages.

Usage and syntax: In contemporary Icelandic, þess remains a standard genitive form used after prepositions and in phrases requiring a genitive relation. It appears in fixed expressions and in more formal or literary prose, as well as in some relative clauses where the English equivalent would be “of which/that.” While everyday speech often favors simpler constructions, þess remains important in written Icelandic and in historical texts.

See also: Icelandic language, Old Norse, Old English, genitive case, thorn letter.