From: llama_nom
Message: 8943
Date: 2008-02-06
>
> Hi all
>
> I would like to propose a doubt that I have regarding this poem by
> Snæbjörn:
>
> Hvatt kveða hrra Grótta
> hergrimmastan skerja
> út fyr jarðar skauti
> eylúðrs níu brúðir,
> þær es, lungs, fyr löngu
> líðmeldr, skipa hlíðar
> baugskerðir rístr barði
> ból, Amlóða mólu.
>
> One can find it at http://www.hi.is/~eybjorn/ugm/skindex/snaeb.html
>
> The syntaxis is usually stressed as follows:
>
> Kveða níu brúðir eylúðrs hroera hvatt hergrimmastan Grotta skerja út
> fyr jarðar skauti, þær er mólu fyr lóngu líðmeldr Amlóða. Baugskerðir
> rístr barði lungs ból hlíðar skipa.
>
> My doubt is on the case of "líðmeldr". The sentence in which the word
> appears should mean approximately: "they (the nine maids) who long
> since have ground the corn of Amlóði's liquor". Thus, I would
> expect "líðmeldr" to be in accusative form, but it seems rather to be
> a nominative form, since "meldr" is a masculine noun, presenting
> its "-r" desinence. I conclude that we have a sentence with two
> nominative nouns, which would be a nonsense.
>
> Could this be a simple error of the copyist, or could the -r
> of "meldr" be radical and not inflexive? Or is this sentence to be
> interpreted in some other way?
>
> Many thanks in advance for your attention,
>
> Stefano
>