> ... gíslingu.

> ... [Is "gísling" a weak noun in spite of its ending with
> a consonant? Otherwise, I don't understand how it can end
> in "-u."]

[...]

> ... gisling is an o-stem feminine noun, see Gordon 83, and
> many of these have a -u ending in the dative singular.
> This is typical of feminine nouns ending in –ing or –ung.
> Ingibjörg also follows this paradigm).

It appears that the Proto-Scandinavian dative singular
ending of the ō-stems was <-u>; some nouns, like those in
<-ing> and <-ung>, regularly kept it, others kept it
optionally, and in others the only visible effect is
mutation or breaking of the root vowel.

> Vildi eg að þú fýstist eigi út til Íslands þó að þú eigir
> þar göfga frændur því að kost muntu eiga að taka þann
> ráðakost í Noregi er engi mun slíkur á Íslandi."

> I wanted that you didn't feel desirous (to go) to Iceland
> although you have there noble relatives because (you)
> would have a choice to take the way of life in Norway
> which is not such different from Iceland."

> I would want that you not be eager (to go) out to Iceland
> even though there you have honorable kinsmen, because you
> will have a choice to take that station in life in Norway
> where none will (be?) such in Iceland.”

> I would-want (subjunctive) that you desired not (to go)
> out to Iceland even though you have there noble kinsmen
> because you-will have (the) opportunity to take that
> state-of-life (situation) in Norway which no-one similar
> will (have) in Iceland.”

I take <slíkur> to refer to <ráðakost>, not to <engi>: 'to
take that station in life whose like no one in Norway will
[have]'.

Brian