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)

  1. a medicine, a drug
    Synonym: lyf
  2. (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

Preposition

meðal

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

Adverb

meðal

  1. 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.”)).

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