foreldrar
Icelandic
Etymology
Once variants (“tvímyndir; a different spelling, pronunciation, or form of the same word”) of foreldri (“a parent”).[1] It is rare that a word's gender differs between grammatical numbers, but modern dictionaries generally list them as two distinct words — even though their form and declension is similar.[1] The reason for this disparity in usage is the masculine word's lack of singular form.[1]
Pronunciation
Noun
foreldrar m pl (plurale tantum)
- (plural only) parents; (mother and father, or any combination thereof) (genealogical abbreviation for.)
Usage notes
- The term is masculine when used in the plural but neuter when used in the singular foreldri (“a parent”).[1][2]