meðal

See also: medal, Medal, and methal

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse meðal, from Proto-Germanic *midlą (“middle”). Compare Danish middel (“means, something used to cure”), which was instead probably borrowed through Low German.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmɛːðal/
Rhymes: -ɛːðal

Noun

meðal n (genitive singular meðals, nominative plural (traditional, prescribed) meðul or (also common) meðöl)

a medicine, a drug
Synonym: lyf
(archaic) means
Synonyms: aðferð, leið

Tilgangurinn helgar meðalið.
The end justifies the means.

Declension

Declension of *meðal* (neuter)
	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	meðal	meðalið	meðul¹, meðöl²	meðulin¹, meðölin²
accusative	meðal	meðalið	meðul¹, meðöl²	meðulin¹, meðölin²
dative	meðali	meðalinu	meðulum¹, meðölum²	meðulunum¹, meðölunum²
genitive	meðals	meðalsins	meðala	meðalanna

¹Traditional, prescribed.
²Also common.

Derived terms

tilgangurinn helgar meðalið

Preposition

meðal

among, amongst [with genitive]
Ég er meðal mikilmenna.
I am amongst great men.

Adverb

meðal

average

Usage notes

Usually always written as a prefix (meðal-), but often written separately when the following word is long (meðal fótboltamaður) although such usage is proscribed.

May in informal speech stand by itself (Ég er bara meðal. (“I'm just average.”)).