Thank you once again llama_nom. Your posts always contain such a
wealth of information that I cannot digest it all in one reading :)

This has made me realize a good strategy: if I cannot find a word in
the dictionary, I can attempt to reverse lookup words by unapplying
the umlauts.

--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "llama_nom" <600cell@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> > vöxtr ( gen - vaxtar)dat.sing vexti - in size at vexti in shape
>
>
> That's right. On its own, 'vöxtr' can mean "size" or "stature".
> It's related to the verb 'vaxa' "to grow" (compare English "to wax
> lyrical" and "waxing moon", and the noun "wax").
>
> This is a typical u-stem [
> http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/lrc/eieol/norol-2-
> X.html#Nor02_GP07_02 ], with u-umlaut in the nominative sg. and i-
> umlaut in the dative singular.
>
> It might help to look at how the word evolved from the precursor
> language.
>
>
> Proto Norse Old Norse (Old Icelandic)
>
> Singular Singluar
>
> N *wahstuz N vöxtr
> A *wahstu A vöxt
> D *wahstiu D vexti
> G *wahstôz G vaxtar
>
>
> Plural
>
> N *wahstiuz N vextir
> A *wahstunz A vöxtu
> D *wahstumz D vöxtum
> G *wahstô G vaxta
>
>
> The regular developments is: wherever /i/ came next, the root vowel
> underwent i-umlaut; and wherever /u/ came next, an /a/ in the root
> became /ö/ in Old Icelandic. See Lesson 6, 1.1 [
> http://www.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/olessons/lesson6.php?colors=0 ].
> _______________________________________________________________
>
>
> Sebastian: What is Nommish?
> Patricia: a quality unique to the Llammasery to which our LN
> belongs, a strange humility born of pride in achievment, and joy in
> helping others
>
> In other words, I just made it up!
> _______________________________________________________________
>
>
> > Hm, I'm still a bit confused. Apparently þat comes from sá, right?
> In Zoëga's dictionary it says this is neuter, what is neuter in the
> sentence? Possibly you can give more examples of use of þat?
>
>
> Yes, in the nominative: neuter 'þat', masculine 'sá',
> feminine 'sú'. In a sentence like 'þat er þeir sjá' "what they
> see", the neuter acts as a sort of default case for any item,
> whatever they see, whatever gender it may turn out to be, just as we
> say "what" or "that" or "it" in English. Even where the gender of
> the thing referred to is not in doubt, neuter may be used in Old
> Norse, for example in definitions:
>
>
> Síðan gerði hann myrkvastofu; þat er þessi heimr, er vér byggjum.
> "Then he made a dungeon; that is this world which we inhabit."
> ('myrkvastofa' "dungeon" = feminine; þat = neuter; 'þessi
> heimr' "this world" = masculine).
>
> Þat er ómennska ef maðr gengr með húsum fyrir nenningarleysis sakir
> eða ókosta annarra þeira er góðir menn vilja fyrir þeim sökum eigi
> hafa þau.
> "It is ''perversity'' if a person goes from house to house because
> of indolence or other failings which make good men unwilling to have
> them."
> (A legal definition: 'ómennska' "perversity" = feminine).
>
> Þat er hin þriðja náttúra jarðar, þá er hon er opnuð ok grafin, þá
> groer gras á þeiri moldu er efst er á jörðunni.
> "That/this/it is the third property of earth, [that] when it is
> opened up and dug, grass grows on that soil which is uppermost on
> the earth."
> (þat = neuter; hin þriðja náttura = feminine; hon = feminine,
> referring to 'jörð' "earth".)
>
>
> Neuter also used as default where the reference is abstract and not
> to any particular noun: 'þat er sagt' "it is said". Similarly with
> adjectives. Here's a curious quote:
>
> ok er því gott góðu at trúa, en illt er at trúa illu, þótt satt sé
> "and so it is good to believe in good things, but bad to believe in
> bad things, even if they are true" (!) [
> http://narrowshore.blogspot.com/2004/11/tt-satt-s-again-with-
> information.html ].
>
> With people, 'hverr' "who" may be used: 'Hverr er sá maðr, er svá er
> spurull?' "who is that who is so curious/questioning?" (The 2nd 'er'
> here is the relative, the 3rd = "is".) But even when the referrence
> is to a noun that is clearly animate and grammatically non-
> neuter, 'hvat' may be used together with the genitive plural:
>
> hvat er þat fiska?
> "what fish is that" (literally "what [one] of fishes").
>
> hvat er þat manna?
> "what man is that", "what sort of a man is that", "who is that"
>
> hvat manna ertu?
> "what sort of a man/person" are you", "who [exactly] are you"
> (the answer might include any or all of details such as name,
> lineage, status/occupation (king, beggar, etc.), place of origin,
> country ruled over, etc.)
>
> Also dat. sg. is possible: hvat er þat drykki? "what drink is that"
> (what sort of a drink is that). But the genitive constrction seems
> to be more common.
>