ferna

Icelandic

Etymology

From fern.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɛrtna/

  Rhymes: -ɛrtna

Noun

ferna f (genitive singular fernu, nominative plural fernur)

1. a box-shaped carton (for liquids)
2. (card games) four of a kind

Usage notes

Referring to drink cartons, this word was adopted to distinguish the newer Tetra Brik and Tetra Rex cartons from the original tetrahedral Tetra Pak packaging (now branded Tetra Classic), called hyrna, which had previously been the common container format for milk in Iceland.

Declension

Declension of ferna (feminine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ferna	fernan	fernur	fernurnar
accusative	fernu	fernuna	fernur	fernurnar
dative	fernu	fernunni	fernum	fernunum
genitive	fernu	fernunnar	ferna	fernanna

Derived terms

• drykkjarferna
• mjólkurferna
• pappaferna

See also

• hyrna

Further reading

• Icelandic Web of Science: Hver fann upp fernuna? (“Who invented the box-shaped carton?”)
• https://web.archive.org/web/20050209135122/http://www.lexis.hi.is/ordvikunnar/hyrna_ferna.html