fjórir

Icelandic

Icelandic cardinal numbers
 <  3 4 5  > 
    Cardinal : fjórir
    Ordinal : fjórði

Etymology

From Old Norse fjórir, from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr.[1] Cognates include Faroese fýra and Danish fire.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈfjouːrɪr/

Numeral

fjórir (feminine fjórar, neuter fjögur)

  1. four
    Þar sátu fjórir menn. ― Four men were sitting there.
    Hún er fjögurra. ― She is four years old.

Usage notes

  • When counting out loud, the contraction fjór is frequently used.
    Einn, tveir, þrír, fjór. ― One, two, three, four.

Declension

The genitive fjögra is common in speech, but fjögurra is preferred in writing. A recent alternative genitive form, fjagra, is very widespread in spoken language, but is only occasionally used in writing.

Derived terms

References

  1. Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon — Íslensk orðsifjabók, 1st edition, 2nd printing (1989). Reykjavík, Orðabók Háskólans, page 181. (Available on Málið.is under the “Eldra mál” tab.)

Old Norse

Old Norse numbers (edit)
40[a], [b]
 ←  3 4 5  → 
    Cardinal: fjórir
    Ordinal: fjórði
    Multiplier: ferfaldr, fjórfaldr
    Distributive: fern

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *fedwōr, from *kʷetwṓr, the neuter form of Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres. The elder form with -ð- is still visible in the name of Fjaðryndaland (Old Swedish Fiæþrundaland). This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term. What elder form with -ð-?

Numeral

fjórir

  1. (cardinal number) four
    fjögurra vegna — to the four cardinal points

Declension

Descendants

  • Icelandic: fjórir
  • Faroese: fýra
  • Norn: fyre
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: fjore (archaic, Høgnorsk)
  • Elfdalian: fyra
  • Old Swedish: fiūrir, fiūri, fȳrir, fȳri
  • Old Danish: fiūræ, fiūghræ, fȳræ, firæ
    • Danish: fire
      • Norwegian Bokmål: fire
        • → Norwegian Nynorsk: fire

References

  • Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic‎, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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