hver

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse hverr (“who, each”), from Proto-Germanic *hwarjaz (“which”), *hwarjazuh (“each”), cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk kven (“who”), kvar (“each”), Swedish vars (“whose”), varje (“each”) Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐍂𐌾𐌹𐍃 (ƕarjis, “which”), 𐍈𐌰𐍂𐌾𐌹𐌶𐌿𐌷 (ƕarjizuh, “each”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɛːˀr/, [ˈʋɛˀɐ̯], [ˈʋɛɐ̯ˀ], [ʋɛɐ̯]
• Homophones: vejr, vær, værd

Pronoun

hver (neuter hvert)

1. (determiner) every, each
2. (pronoun) everyone

Derived terms

• enhver
• hverdag
• i hvert fald
• hver sin

References

• “hver” in Den Danske Ordbog

Icelandic

Etymology 1

From Old Norse hverr (from Proto-Germanic *hwarjaz) and *hver (from Proto-Germanic *hwaz), which were conflated in late Old Norse. Most of the inflected forms of *hwaz have since become obsolete, and what remains in form is essentially the descendant of *hwarjaz, but with an extra form for the neuter nominative and accusative singular: hvað from Old Norse hvat.

Alternative forms

• hvör, hvor (archaic, obsolete)
• hvur (dated, literary, eye dialect)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʰvɛːr/, (dated) /kʰvʏːr/
• IPA^(key): /xʷɛːr/ (regional), /xvʏːr/, /xʏːr/ (regional, dated or literary)
• IPA^(key): /kʰvœːr/ (archaic, obsolete)

Pronoun

hver (feminine hver, neuter (used with a noun) hvert or (used alone) hvað)

1. (interrogative) who, what

   Hver er ég?

   Who am I?

   Hver stal kökunni úr krúsinni í gær?

   Who stole the cookie from the jar last night?

2. (interrogative) which (referring to one or several of more than two things or persons) [with genitive noun phrase or af ‘of’]

   Hver þeirra finnst þér bestur, hvíti, græni eða appelsínuguli bíllinn?

   Which of these do you like best, the white, the green, or the orange car?

3. (interrogative, neuter singular) what, which part (referring to part of a mass or group of things or people considered collectively) [with af (+ dative) ‘of’]

   Við verðum að ákveða hvað af landinu við viljum vernda fyrir snjóflóð.

   We have to decide which part of the land we want to protect from avalanches.

4. (relative) whichever (of more than two things or persons) [with genitive noun (optionally) phrase or af ‘of’, along with relative clause]

   Hver sem ég talaði við í dag var í góðu skapi.

   Whoever I talked to today was in a good mood.

5. (relative, neuter singular) whatever [with genitive noun (optionally) phrase or af ‘of’, along with relative clause]

   Hvað sem ég reyndi, það tókst ekki.

   Whatever I tried, it didn't work.

6. (relative, chiefly archaic) who, which, that (used in the forming of relative clauses)
7. (indefinite) each, every

   Besta rúgbrauðið kemur frá Hveragerði. Það veit hver íslendingur.

   The best ‘rye bread’ is from Hveragerði. Every Icelander knows that.

   • 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.

Usage notes

The neuter form hvað is used with senses 1, 3, and 5, hvert with the others. Compare also hvor, hvort (“which (of two)”).

Declension

Positive forms of hver (strong-only)

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	hver	hver	hvert1, hvað2
accusative	hvern	hverja
dative	hverjum	hverri	hverju
genitive	hvers	hverrar	hvers
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	hverjir	hverjar	hver
accusative	hverja
dative	hverjum
genitive	hverra

¹Used with a noun.
²Used alone.

Derived terms

• af hverju
• annar hver (“every other one”)
• ber er hver að baki, nema sér bróður eigi
• eins og hver annar (“like everybody else”)
• hver af öðrum, hver eftir annan (“one after the other”)
• hver sem er (“whoever”)
• hvers konar? (how? what kind of?)
• hvers vegna? (why?)
• hæla á hvert reipi
• leika við hvern sinn fingur
• sinn er siður í landi hverju

References

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), “hver”, in Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)
• Kristín Bjarnadóttir, editor (2002–2026), “hver”, in Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls [The Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
• Mörður Árnason (2019), Íslensk orðabók, 5th edition, Reykjavík: Forlagið
• “hver” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)

Etymology 2

From Old Norse hverr, from Proto-Germanic *hweraz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʰvɛːr/
• IPA^(key): /xʷɛːr/

  Rhymes: -ɛːr

Noun

hver m (genitive singular hvers, nominative plural hverir or (archaic) hverar)

1. hot spring

   Synonyms: laug, heit laug

Declension

Declension of hver (masculine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	hver	hverinn	hverir, hverar1	hverirnir, hverarnir1
accusative	hver	hverinn	hveri, hvera1	hverina, hverana1
dative	hver	hvernum	hverum	hverunum
genitive	hvers	hversins	hvera	hveranna

¹Archaic.

Derived terms

• goshver

See also

• lind
• heitur pottur
• pottur

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Danish hver.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʋæːr/
• Homophone: vær
• Rhymes: -æːr

Determiner

hver (neuter form hvert)

1. each

   Hvert barn fikk et stykke sjokolade.

   Each child got a piece of chocolate.

2. every

   Vi drar dit hver uke.

   We go there every week.

Derived terms

• annenhver
• hverdag

See also

• kvar (Nynorsk)

References

• “hver” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Old Norse

Noun

hver

1. accusative singular of hverr

Pronoun

hver

1. inflection of hverr:
   1. feminine nominative singular
   2. neuter nominative/accusative plural