Hi, Alec,

Some authors, such as those of Old Norse Online, use the term "reflexive" in a morphological sense, and talk about "the reflexive forms of verbs" or "the reflexive suffix". In that sense, yes, the ending makes the verb reflexive by definition.

But "reflexive" can also refer to a semantic property: the idea that the object of the verb has the same referent as the subject, i.e. that who the action is also affected by it. I think that's what you're getrting at? In that sense, the verb in your example is not exactly reflexive. Rather, the -isk serves to turn the active verb <fjölga> "make more numerous" into the middle voice (also called medio-passive) <fjölgask> "become more numerous".

There's a nice explanation in section 39.2:
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/eieol/norol-8-X.html#Nor08_GP39_02

Beware that other authors may use the terms "middle voice" and "medio-passive" in the morphological sense, to refer to the suffixed verb forms, without regard to the semantic role it plays.

LN

--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, CalecM@... wrote:
>
> In Old Norse Online, the phrase from Snorri's edda "fjolgathisk theira
> kynslooth" is translated as "their progeny multiplied."
>
> Doesn't the -isk ending make that verb reflexive?
>
> Thx
> Alec
>