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

> Frustration shared, though it is a handy quick way to find meanings,
> etc. I look up words in situ if I want to know whether a particular
> masc. i-stem has -i in dat.sg., searching for examples of usage on
> Google or elsewhere (see below). Admittedly this might be confused
> by the fact that many online ON texts appear in modern spelling, and
> may be subtly adapted in other ways too. Maybe we should start
> making a big list...
>

Heh, indeed.

> http://www.lexis.hi.is/corpus/leit.pl
>
> Dot the box for 'fornrit' for medieval texts, but be aware that a
> lot of them appear here in modern spelling. The simplest way is to
> type a word into the bottom window and click on LEIT "search". (You
> can theoretically also type a word into that top left window, click
> on SÆKJA ORÐMYNDIR and look for the whole declension. I just tried
> it now with GESTR and this disn´t work even by clicking on EINNIG
> GAMLAR ORÐMYNDIR "also old word-forms", but GESTUR did the trick.)
>

I haven't quite figured this out, what options did you enable when
entering GESTUR? As well, which box did you enter it in, and which
button did you click? Hah! I need a dictionary just to use THIS
dictionary :)

> I also make much use of Google (e.g. type 'þeim' + the word in
> question + some distinctively Old Icelandic wordform to eliminate
> modern examples--not perfect, but you can often answer questions
> this way, 'í þeim stað' "in that place") and these other two online
> ON dictionaries (the first is out of action at the moment, but I'm
> sure it'll be back; Zoega's dictionary is actually an abridgement on
> this one):
>
> http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kurisuto/germanic/oi_cleasbyvigfusson_abou
> t.html#images
>
> http://www.dok.hf.uio.no/perl/search/search.cgi?appid=86&tabid=1275
>
> The second dictionary (Fritzner) doesn't list dat.sg. either, I'm
> afraid, but often has more examples than Zoega.
>
> LN
>

Tips noted, and thanks for the links. But llama_nom, how have you gone
about learning vocabulary? Has it been mostly sporadic through Google,
and the other methods you mention or do you know a better way? I think
once I have grown more comfortable with Old Norse and have still not
found the necessary resources I will attempt to publish something of
my own to get rid of such ambiguity.

One last thing LN, would be too much trouble if I asked you to compile
a list of your links? You seem to have a wealth of them and they prove
to be very useful.

Thanks!
Sebastian