Alan wrote:

> Þar leiða þeir
> nú hestinn fram á (more forward onto, I think) hamarinn.

here they lead now the horse toward the cliff

(is there a specific purpose in using the suffixed definite article)
(ON´s use of the definite article is a bit of an enigma to me. Where
we in modern English we would use it, they tend not to use it â€" recall
the use of ‘konungr’ for ‘the king’ in Auðun´s story â€" but here it
seems to be more akin to typical modern English, where it is referring
to a specific horse.)
-
Hi Alan,

You have said it yourself: "THE horse".
If it had said :
" þeir leiða nú hest fram á hamarinn ",
then it would have meant, that they now lead A horse onto the cliff.

*A* horse is just *some* horse (any horse will do).
but *THE* horse (here, in this story) is Freyfaxi.
That is why it is called definite article, because it points
to a definite, or specific horse.

I believe some sagas begin by stating "Maður hét Hrafn"
(A man was named Raven). But in the next sentence they
say "Og maðurinn var kvongaður". Then it is the definite
article, because it now refers back to the man introduced
previously.

The rule, then -- I think maybe it was in Haukur's lesson --
is that the definite article can only be applied to a
noun or a name that has already been defined/specified earlier
in the story.


The fact that the article comes after the noun, shouldn't
bother you, for when you translate to English, you just put
the article in front of the nomen, the way you always do it
when writing correct English.

(but maybe you knew all this, and I misunderstood your question)


I believe In English there is a word "yon" or "yonder"
that may be compared with ON "hinn". Now, if you just put
"Yon" *after* the noun, you would have the postfixed definite
article: "Yon horse is my master's favorite"
"Horse-yon is my master's favorite"
(Hinn hestur er herra míns göfugastur/
Hesturinn er herra míns göfugastur)


Is this the example you had in mind:


" Haraldi konungi var sagt brátt að þar var komið bjarndýri, gersemi
mikil, og á íslenskur maður. Konungur sendir þegar menn eftir honum " ?


I do not have a good answer why they write
" Konungur sendir menn eftir honum"(King sends men to fetch him)
and not
" Konungurinn sendir menn eftir honum " (The king sends men to fetch
him). (maybe "king" in the form Konungur functions more like a proper
name? Special case? -- just a guess)


Best regards
Xigung

>
> 655 Þeir leiða nú hestinn ofan eptir vellinum
> They lead now the stallion (use of suffixed Def Article) down

through the meadows

>
> Einn hamarr
> stendr niðr við ána, en fyrir framan hylr djúpr.(note: deep hole is

nom sg, ie the subject of the phrase)

> A cliff stands down by the river before / in front of a deep pool

( does this indicate a waterfall) A translation I have indicates the
presence of a waterfall but this may be based on a variant text.)

>
> Þar leiða þeir
> nú hestinn fram á (more forward onto, I think) hamarinn.
> There they lead now the horse toward the cliff
> (is there a specific purpose in using the suffixed definite article)

(ON´s use of the definite article is a bit of an enigma to me. Where
we in modern English we would use it, they tend not to use it â€" recall
the use of ‘konungr’ for ‘the king’ in Auðun´s story â€" but here it
seems to be more akin to typical modern English, where it is referring
to a specific horse.)