forðum

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Icelandic

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Etymology

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From Old Norse forðum. Cognate with Faroese forðum.

Adverb

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forðum

  1. formerly, long ago

Old Norse

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Etymology obscure, but ultimately from Proto-Germanic *furi- (formerly), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (forth, over, across, through), whence also Old Norse forn (old, ancient), fjǫrð (past year).

According to Stiles 2013 possibly from Proto-Norse *for þaim > *forþam with regular change of *-am to -um.

Adverb

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forðum (not comparable)

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Descendants

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  • Icelandic: forðum
  • Faroese: forðum
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fordum
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: fordom
  • Old Swedish: forþom, fordhum
  • Danish: fordum

References

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  • Stiles, P. (2013) The Pan-West Germanic Isoglosses and the Sub-Relationships of West Germanic to Other Branches in NOWELE vol. 66.