forðum

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse forðum. Cognate with Faroese forðum.

Adverb

forðum

1. formerly, long ago

Old Norse

Alternative forms

• ᚠᚮᚱᚦᚢᛘ (forþum) — Runic form

Etymology

Etymology obscure, but ultimately from Proto-Germanic *furi- (“formerly”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“forth, over, across, through”), whence also Old Norse forn (“old, ancient”), fjǫrð (“past year”).

According to Stiles 2013 possibly from Proto-Norse *for þaim > *forþam with regular change of *-am to -um.

Adverb

forðum (not comparable)

1. aforetime, formerly, once, erst
   • verse 47 of the Hávamál

     Ungr var ek forðum, / fór ek einn saman,
     þá varð ek villr vega;
     auðigr þóttumk, / er ek annan fann,
     maðr er manns gaman.

     Young was I once, / and wandered alone,
     And nought of the road I knew;
     Rich did I feel / when a comrade I found,
     for man is man's delight.

2. of yore, in days of old
   • verse 2 of the Vǫluspá

     Ek man jǫtna / ár um borna,
     þá er forðum mik / fǿdda hǫfðu

     I recall ettins / born long ago,
     who of old / did foster me.

Descendants

• Icelandic: forðum
• Faroese: forðum
• Norwegian Bokmål: fordum
• Norwegian Nynorsk: fordom
• Old Swedish: forþom, fordhum
  • Swedish: fordom
• Danish: fordum

References

• Stiles, P. (2013) The Pan-West Germanic Isoglosses and the Sub-Relationships of West Germanic to Other Branches in NOWELE vol. 66.