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
2. (archaic) means

   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.

Synonyms

• (drug): lyf
• (means): aðferð, leið

Derived terms

• tilgangurinn helgar meðalið

Preposition

meðal

1. (governs the genitive) among, amongst

   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.”)).