Heil Arlie :)

Keth wrote, and you replied:

> > So, I therefore *propose* the following *solution* :)
> > vík, víkr, vík, vík; víkr, víka, víkum, víkr.
> > (s;p/N,G,D,A)

(blessed we are by Keth's solutions; this time they're even correct,
though I strongly disprove with his case sequence...)

> > But I will then be dependent on the teachers goodwill,
> > if he actually has time to answer my question.
> > The question is:
> > "did I use the right kind of tools?"
> > "did I use the right kind of logic"
> > "was the answer correct?"
> > "where did it go wrong?"

(always the drama)

> I'll let one of the teachers comment, except to say that this looks
> strange to me. It could be what Barnes calls a "strong

feminine" ... but

> in that case, I'd have expected víkar (or perhaps víkir) where you

have víkr.

> But perhaps I've missed some rule here.

It was right of you to doubt the forms; your expectation, "víkar", is
logical. This word does have -r in the sg gen, however, which is
irregular. I can think of two MI nouns that may or may not have
existed in ON, that decline the same way: "tík" and "flík". They all
rhyme, so the reason may be phonetic (can't see why though, so it may
be an ancient phenomenon). Perhaps some of the words are imitating
one of them which is originally irregular.

Anyway, I wanted to use this opportunity to entertain you with some
trivia about this "vík" word. First, it means 'bay' (very roughly).
It is from this word that we derive the familiar "víkingr". "-ingr"
is a person/agent suffix (cf. "Íslendingr" from "Ísland" + "-ingr");
so "vík-ingr" is a 'man of the bay'.

But note that "víkingr" in ON did not refer to the people of
the "Viking" civilization. The ON speakers in general were "norroenir
menn" (Nordic people), while "víkingar" refers to the Nordic warriors
who went pirate in their longships. Speaking of "Viking people" is
therefore not "politically correct". They should be called Nordic
people, to which a sub-group "vikings" (pirates) belongs.

> > The goal then is - to be able to decline any ON
> > noun ........ a distant asymptotic goal.

(again, drama)
(and so useful when mr thoughtful, who is not a member of the crew,
regularly announces the destination, in flight, to the passengers)

> Not that distant, really. And surely not asymptotic.

I say we get back to declining the nouns that we're working with
right now.

Óskar