jafn

See also: jafn-

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse jafn, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz. Compare Faroese javnur, Norwegian Bokmål jevn, Norwegian Nynorsk jamn, Swedish jämn, Danish jævn, English even, Dutch even, and effen, German eben.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /japn/
    Rhymes: -apn

Adjective

jafn (comparative jafnari, superlative jafnastur)

  1. even
  2. equal
    • Article 1, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Icelandic, English)
      Hver maður er borinn frjáls og jafn öðrum að virðingu og réttindum. Menn eru gæddir vitsmunum og samvizku, og ber þeim að breyta bróðurlega hverjum við annan.
      All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
  3. (arithmetic, not comparable) even; (leaving no remainder when divided by 2)
    Synonym: sléttur

Declension

Positive forms of jafn
strong declension
(indefinite)
singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafn jöfn jafnt
accusative jafnan jafna
dative jöfnum jafnri jöfnu
genitive jafns jafnrar jafns
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafnir jafnar jöfn
accusative jafna
dative jöfnum
genitive jafnra
weak declension
(definite)
singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafni jafna jafna
acc/dat/gen jafna jöfnu
plural (all-case) jöfnu
Comparative forms of jafn
weak declension
(definite)
masculine feminine neuter
singular (all-case) jafnari jafnari jafnara
plural (all-case) jafnari
Superlative forms of jafn
strong declension
(indefinite)
singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafnastur jöfnust jafnast
accusative jafnastan jafnasta
dative jöfnustum jafnastri jöfnustu
genitive jafnasts jafnastrar jafnasts
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafnastir jafnastar jöfnust
accusative jafnasta
dative jöfnustum
genitive jafnastra
weak declension
(definite)
singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafnasti jafnasta jafnasta
acc/dat/gen jafnasta jöfnustu
plural (all-case) jöfnustu

Derived terms

Old Norse

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ebnaz.

Adjective

jafn (comparative jafnari, superlative jafnastr)

  1. even (number)
  2. equal, the same

Declension

Strong declension of jafn
singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafn jǫfn jafnt
accusative jafnan jafna jafnt
dative jǫfnum jafni jǫfnu
genitive jafns jafnar jafns
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafnir jafnar jǫfn
accusative jafna jafnar jǫfn
dative jǫfnum jǫfnum jǫfnum
genitive jafna jafna jafna
Weak declension of jafn
singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafni jafna jafna
accusative jafna jǫfnu jafna
dative jafna jǫfnu jafna
genitive jafna jǫfnu jafna
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative jǫfnu jǫfnu jǫfnu
accusative jǫfnu jǫfnu jǫfnu
dative jǫfnum jǫfnum jǫfnum
genitive jǫfnu jǫfnu jǫfnu
Declension of comparative of jafn
singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafnari jafnari jafnara
accusative jafnara jafnari jafnara
dative jafnara jafnari jafnara
genitive jafnara jafnari jafnara
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafnari jafnari jafnari
accusative jafnari jafnari jafnari
dative jǫfnurum jǫfnurum jǫfnurum
genitive jafnari jafnari jafnari
Strong declension of superlative of jafn
singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafnastr jǫfnust jafnast
accusative jafnastan jafnasta jafnast
dative jǫfnustum jafnastri jǫfnustu
genitive jafnasts jafnastrar jafnasts
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafnastir jafnastar jǫfnust
accusative jafnasta jafnastar jǫfnust
dative jǫfnustum jǫfnustum jǫfnustum
genitive jafnastra jafnastra jafnastra
Weak declension of superlative of jafn
singular masculine feminine neuter
nominative jafnasti jafnasta jafnasta
accusative jafnasta jǫfnustu jafnasta
dative jafnasta jǫfnustu jafnasta
genitive jafnasta jǫfnustu jafnasta
plural masculine feminine neuter
nominative jǫfnustu jǫfnustu jǫfnustu
accusative jǫfnustu jǫfnustu jǫfnustu
dative jǫfnustum jǫfnustum jǫfnustum
genitive jǫfnustu jǫfnustu jǫfnustu

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Icelandic: jafn
  • Faroese: javnur
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: jamn
    • Norwegian Bokmål: jamn
  • Old Swedish: iæmpn, iamn, iæmn, iampn
  • Old Danish: iæmfn, iafn, iæfn, ifn, iofn, iauæn, iæuæn, iæmn
  • Elfdalian: iemmen
  • Jamtish: jamn
  • Gutnish: jamnar, jämbar
  • Scanian: jǫvner

Further reading

  • Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “jafn”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 231; also available at the Internet Archive