--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "llama_nom" <600cell@...> wrote:

>
>
> --- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "kunphuzil" <kunphuzil@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > I have begun to look through the Grammar charts and word entry's
> in "A
> > Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic" by Geir T. Zoëga but have
> become
> > confused with the syntax of the entries. For example, the entry for
> > 'ormr':
> >
> > ormr (-s, -ar), m. snake, serpent.
> >
> > So, I would assume that this would then belong to the "Strong
> > Masculine 1st Declension" group, because that is titled with "1st
> > Declension, gen. sing. -s, nom. pl. -ar, acc. pl. -a."
>
>
>
>
> That's right. Another way of describing this declension which you
> may come across in some books is "a-stem", because in Proto Germanic
> these words had /a/ between the root and the case endings, *wurm-a-z
> > ON ormr.

Ugh! It seems so arbitrary to name them with their proto-germanic
stems if they are no longer present. Even so, the stem charts don't
help in conjunction with the dictionary if they both employ different
systems. Does anyone know which stems match to which declension?

>
>
> >
> > I do not understand why Zoëga did not then just list it as
> >
> > ormr (1st), m. snake, serpent
> >
> > But I digress. The entry for 'fors':
> >
> > fors (pl. -ar), m. waterfall.
> >
> > Now, which declension is one to assume this noun belongs to?
>
>
>
>
>
> The same as 'ormr', except that the genitive is just 'fors' like the
> nominative.
>
>
>
>
>
> >
> > As well, are nouns whose entries are listed simply as
> >
> > noun, gender. definition.
> >
> > in the "weak declension" category?
>
>
>
> I think that's right. But you can be sure if a noun is listed as
> masculine and ends in -i in the nominative singular, it will be
> weak. Likewise if a noun is listed as feminine or neuter and ends
> in -a in the nominative singular.
>
> These should be regular unless otherwise noted by Zoega. If you
> look up 'vili', you'll see it has after it (gen. vilja). Such nouns
> have -j- before all the usual weak endings except the nominative
> singular:
>
> nom. vili viljar
> acc. vilja vilja
> dat. vilja viljum
> gen. vilja vilja
>
>
>
>
>
> > What is more is that there seems to be no explanation for
> > abbreviations, such as "pr." and "pp." or "p."
>
>
>
> pp. "past participle" Could you post examples of the others?
>

I'll compile a list as I come across them, thanks.

>
> > Also, charts for weak/strong verbs and their classes/declensions
> are
> > given, but how does the entry of a verb indicate which it belongs
> to?
>
>
>
> Some tips:
>
> (að) means like 'kalla' (called 1nd conjugation by Zoega, but 2nd in
> Gordon's Introduction to Old Norse, and usually 2nd in books on
> other old Germanic languages such as Old English and Old Norse).
>
> (ta, tr) or (ða, ðr) or (Cða, Cðr), where C = a consonant, or (dda,
> ddr), or the verb written out in full with to show vowel mutation or
> lack of it + endings such as these, means like 'doema', 'fylgja' (if
> the root is long) or 'gleðja', 'spyrja' (if short). The forms given
> in brackets by Zoega are the 1st person past indicative singular,
> followed by the past participle.

Might you be able to explain this once more? I'm not sure I follow
what you mean.

>
> Strong verbs are given in the form: infinitive (1st person present
> indicative singular; 1st/3rd person past indicative singular, 1st
> person past indicative plural; past participle), e.g.
>
> gráta (græt; grét, grétum; grátinn), v. (1) to weep; (2) bewail,
> weep for one.
>
> From the vowels in these forms, it´s usually possible to work out
> which conjugation this matches in Zoega´s table, although sometimes
> assimilations and suchlike soundchanges can obscure the pattern.
>
> Lama Nom
>

Thanks again!

Sebastian