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

• jafn að ummáli (“isoperimetric”)
• jafnaðarstefna
• jafngilda
• jafnhallaferill
• jöfnuður
• ummálsjafn (“isoperimetric”)

Old Norse

Alternative forms

• jamn

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

• Jafnhár m

Related terms

• jafna

Descendants

• Icelandic: jafn
• Faroese: javnur
• Norwegian Nynorsk: jamn
  • → Norwegian Bokmål: jamn
• Old Swedish: iæmpn, iamn, iæmn, iampn
  • Swedish: jämn
• Old Danish: iæmfn, iafn, iæfn, ifn, iofn, iauæn, iæuæn, iæmn
  • Danish: jævn
    • Norwegian Bokmål: jevn
• 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