--- In norse_course@..., robert blank <sawilagaz@...> wrote:

> Heil öll
>
> I have a quick question about the verb "koma". It is
> listed in Lesson 3 in the form 'koma, køm.' However,
> my dictionary "A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic"
> has 'koma, kem.' Is this a misprint? or can it appear
> either way?
>

I think I'll take the time to try to answer this in a non-cryptic
manner :)

The form 'køm' is older and used by us, as it presents a
more "logical" case of i-umlaut (o > ø). In later Icelandic, a great
many cases of 'ø' changed to 'e'. The spelling reflects this change,
unlike many other changes, which are not reflected.

The sound change is not peculiar:

'ø', pronounced [2] (see pronunciation guides), was the _rounded_
version of 'e' [e]. That is the same relationship as there was
between 'y' [y] and 'i' [i], [y] being a rounded [i]. I don't know
for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if the change [y] > [i]
happened at the same time as [2] > [e].

But spelling reflects the [2] > [e] change, and not the [y] > [i]
one, which is why the dictionaries have different forms.

Óskar