Myndi mér fyr stundu
mikit orðalag þikkja
of elgrenni unnar
eyrum slíkt at heyra.
Myndi þikkja mér fyr stundu mikit orðalag at heyra eyrum slíkt of unnar elgrenni.
It would have seemed to me a while ago a significant expression if I had heard with my own ears such a thing about the impeller of the elk of the wave [(lit. ‘wave’s elk-impeller’) SHIP > SEAFARER].
[1] myndi ‘it would’: Both mss have the variant form mundi, which is also possible (cf. ANG §524.2) but results in aðalhending rather than skothending in this odd line.
Verbs: Preterite-present verbs
The present tense of these verbs is like the past tense of strong verbs, and their past tense is weak.
eiga | mega | kunna | skulu | munu | muna | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
indic. pres. | sing. pl. | 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd | á átt á eigum eiguð eigu | má mátt má megum meguð megu | kann kannt kann kunnum kunnuð kunnu | skal skalt skal skulum skuluð skulu | mun munt mun munum munuð munu | man mant man munum munið muna |
indic. past stem subj. pres. stem subj. past stem | átt- eig- ætt- | mátt- meg- mætt- | kunn- kunn- kynn- | skyld- skyl- skyld- | mund- myn- mynd- | mund- mun- mynd- |