þunnir

Þunnir is the masculine plural nominative and accusative form of the Icelandic adjective þunnur, meaning “thin” or “slender.” It is used to describe masculine or mixed-gender plural nouns in the indefinite form. Like other Icelandic adjectives, its ending changes with gender, number, and definiteness, so other forms exist for feminine and neuter, singular and definite contexts (for example, feminine plural would differ, and the definite plural is marked differently).

Etymology and cognates: The word derives from Old Norse þunnr and is related to cognate forms in other Germanic languages. Its basic meaning of “thin” or “slender” has remained stable across centuries in Icelandic.

Usage: Þunnir is commonly used in everyday Icelandic to describe physical dimensions or figurative states. Examples include describing people, objects, or phenomena as slim or slender, or as thin in a literal sense. In sentences using predicates, it can appear as in Mennirnir eru þunnir (“The men are thin”) or Þeir eru þunnir (“They are thin”). For a neuter singular reference, other forms such as þunnt are used (for example, Það er þunnt blað meaning “That is a thin sheet”).

See also: Icelandic grammar, adjective inflection, Old Norse etymology.

Notes: This entry focuses on the masculine plural form and general usage; other gender and definiteness forms follow standard Icelandic adjective- inflection rules and differ accordingly.