Óskar wrote:

>But you won't get that here; unfortunately, we don't provide it. This
>course is designed for people of a completely different linguistic
>background. Observing that most of the ON enthusiasts are
>English-speakers without prior knowledge of foreign languages or
>education in classical grammar, we have designed the course to guide
>the student, step-by-step, in a "protected environment" (where we
>select what words and what grammar the student encounters).

Hej Óskar,

I'd just like to say, that being raised with American English (although
with huge influences of British English which have forever marked my
spelling and diction), but having a background in foreign languages,
grammar analysis, and even a bit of Old Icelandic at this point, I realise
that this course also isn't the one for me (although kudos to yourself and
Haukur in presenting the material so well for the intended audience).

However, that's part of the reason why I haven't been posting on the
lessons (the other big reason being the finite number of hours in the day),
just reading along and trying to keep myself from getting too
rusty. Another project of mine to keep the rust away is the creation of an
online and search-indexed relational database with all the Old Icelandic
vocabulary I can find, fully conjugated - it's still in the early
construction, though, and not even ready for helpful suggestions - I'll
give updates and URLs when it's a little further along.

The point being, your course and this list still have value for students
such as Keth and myself (while I recognise some of Keth's mistakes, I also
recognise I would be making similar ones if making equivalent
attempts). But as long as he and I recognise that 1) the course is
designed for a different audience, and 2) we're not the teachers, or even
assistants - then I still think that there's a ton of value for us in this
course by "auditing" it (in the sense of attending a class without
participating as a student).

>Keth; you should be posting it somewhere else. Don't feel that I'm
>really criticizing your material.

of course you're criticising his material! that's the most helpful thing
you can do for any of us ;-> I think what you mean is that you're not
disparaging his material, which would just be cruel and pointless...

>I'm just saying that it would be
>much better appreciated somewhere else. And if that somewhere else
>doesn't exist, then I encourage you to make it! You could make a group
>of your own, an "ON discussion" group. It would probably be useful to
>Scandinavian and German students of ON, perhaps even to some students
>here. I would be honored to take a look every now and then and comment
>on your ponderings :)

well, I can think of one forum which would be appreciative... ;->

One of the lists I administrate (and co-moderate) is NordStudie, a "formal
email list for the discussion of Nordic topics such as the language,
literature, culture, magick and religion of Scandinavia and related
societies during the pre-Christian and transition-period times, from the
perception and for the illumination of scholarly heathens."

Quite simply, any of Keth's posts on the Old Norse language would be
completely on-topic - but unfortunately, I would probably be his most
qualified feedback on Old Norse, unless you, Haukur and/or Eysteinn also
subscribed - so it still may not fulfill the specific needs of Keth's
language study, as a forum is only as good as its members and how active
they are.

okay, enough shameless plugging of one of my lists, and back to our
regularly scheduled linguistics ;->

-Selv

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