forðum
Icelandic
Etymology
From Old Norse forðum. Cognate with Faroese forðum.
Adverb
forðum
- formerly, long ago
Old Norse
Alternative forms
- ᚠᚮᚱᚦᚢᛘ (forþum) – Runic
Etymology
Etymology obscure, but ultimately from Proto-Germanic *furi- (“formerly”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“forth, over, across, through”). Related to Old Norse forn (“old, ancient”), fjǫrð (“past year”).
Adverb
forðum (not comparable)
- aforetime, formerly, once, erst
- verse 47 of the Hávamál
- Ungr var ek forðum, / fór ek einn saman,
þá varð ek villr vega;
auðigr þóttumk, / er ek annan fann,
maðr er manns gaman.- Young was I once, / and wandered alone,
And nought of the road I knew;
Rich did I feel / when a comrade I found,
for man is man's delight.
- Young was I once, / and wandered alone,
- verse 47 of the Hávamál
- of yore, in days of old
- verse 2 of the Vǫluspá
- Ek man jǫtna / ár um borna,
þá er forðum mik / fǿdda hǫfðu- I recall ettins / born long ago,
who of old / did foster me.
- I recall ettins / born long ago,
- verse 2 of the Vǫluspá
Descendants
- Danish: fordum
- Icelandic: forðum
- Faroese: forðum
- Norwegian Bokmål: fordum
- Old Swedish: forþom, fordhum
- Swedish: fordom