þjóðar

Þjóðar is Icelandic for “nations” or “peoples” and is the plural form of the noun þjóð, which denotes a nation, a people, or a culturally and historically bound community. In Icelandic usage, þjóð can refer to a specific national group, an ethnolinguistic community, or a political entity such as a nation-state. Þjóðar, therefore, appears when speaking of multiple nations or groups, or when describing collective populations within or across borders.

Etymology and linguistic notes: The word þjóða and related forms descend from Proto-Nordic roots shared with other Germanic languages that express the idea of a people or nation. In medieval and modern Icelandic, the term is common in historical writing, law, and political discourse, as well as in contemporary discussions of identity, nationalism, and demography. The plural form þjóðar is routinely used in contexts that enumerate or compare different nations or peoples.

Usage and context: Þjóðar is employed in academic, political, and cultural contexts to discuss national identity, self-determination, migration, and minority rights. It is often invoked in contrast to terminology such as land (country) or fólk (people in a general, everyday sense). While fólk refers to people in a broad or individual sense, þjóð emphasizes the collective political or cultural community associated with a nation.

See also: nationalism, þjóðernishyggja, þjóðfélag, demography. The term remains a central element in Icelandic discourse on national identity, citizenship, and the relationships between culture, language, and political organization.