-erni

Icelandic

Etymology

Rebracketing of faðerni (“paternity”), móðerni (“maternity”), bróðerni (“fraternity”) from faðir (“father”), móðir (“mother”), and bróðir (“brother”) + -ni n.^[1] The e may be the result of i- mutation of the original stem vowel *a.

Suffix

-erni n (noun-forming suffix, genitive singular -ernis, nominative plural -erni)

a nominal suffix, forming abstract nouns, mostly from adjectives (usually no plural forms)
‎þjóð f (“nation, people”) + ‎-erni → ‎þjóðerni (“nationality”)

‎salur m (“hall”) + ‎-erni → ‎salerni (“toilet”)

Declension

Declension of *-erni* (neuter)
	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	-erni	-ernið	-erni	-ernin
accusative	-erni	-ernið	-erni	-ernin
dative	-erni	-erninu	-ernum	-ernunum
genitive	-ernis	-ernisins	-erna	-ernanna

Derived terms

Icelandic terms suffixed with -erni

References

^ Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989), “-erni”, in Íslensk orðsifjabók, Reykjavík: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, →ISBN, page 156 (Available at Málið.is under the “Eldri orðabækur” tab.)