--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "Stridmann" <stridmann@...>
wrote:

>
> > > 'elska at...' Is it possible that this is a modernism?
> > This is very recent usage, totally anachronistic.
>
> I've found such exaples:
>
> "...elskaði hún hann mjög..." (EYRBYGGJA SAGA)
> "...Signý elskaði hann..." (HRANA SAGA HRINGS)
> "Haraldur konungur elskaði mjög Íslendinga." (SNEGLU-HALLA ÞÁTTUR)

These are not examples of the same usage. I seriously
doubt anybody would have said "ég elska að ganga" in
medieval Iceland. Even today it sounds like a forced
translation from the English. "Elska" did not have the
wide range of meanings "love" has. It was not used of
casual "likes". The meaning is closer to "love dearly"
and you generally only "elska" people, loved ones and
friends, and gods, I guess. I doubt there are many
examples of people who "elska" things, and actions.
But if you can find it somewhere, by all means use it.
I would be very interested to hear if you can locate
and ON or OI example of "elska" with an infinitive. That
would certainly be one for the books.

As for "fífla" (n), yes, it exists, but is apparently
very rare in usage (and perhaps not an ideal word to
use in a primer for beginners). Actually, Zoega says
it means "wanton girl"! It does not occur in any saga,
according to the concordance, but is only found (twice)
in the compound "meðalfífla" (in Grett. and Gísl.).
Normally, a woman would just be called a "fífl", as in
Kormáks saga, Chapter 9:

"... því að þessi kona er fífl og engum duganda manni
við sæmanda ..."

I may not be a very good idea to teach absolute
beginners to use extremely rare and odd words as if
they were in general usage. But you're the boss!

Regards and good luck,
Eysteinn