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Framarr Lv 3^VIII (Ket 38)/6 — máttu ‘they were able’

Skelfr nú skegg á karli;         skeika vápn gömlum;
frýr hann hjör hvössum;         hræðiz faðir meyjar.
Brýnduz benteinar,         svát bíta máttu
hölða hugprúða,         ef þér hugr dygði.

Nú skelfr skegg á karli; vápn skeika gömlum; hann frýr hvössum hjör; faðir meyjar hræðiz. Benteinar brýnduz, svát máttu bíta hugprúða hölða, ef hugr dygði þér.

Now the beard is trembling on the fellow; weapons go askew for the old man; he blames his sharp sword; the father of the maiden [= Ketill] is afraid. The wound-twigs [SWORDS] were whetted so that they were able to bite courage-proud warriors, if courage had stood you in good stead.

readings

[6] máttu: so 471, mátti 343a

notes

[6] máttu ‘they were able’: Ms. 343a has the reading mátti, which is 3rd pers. sg. pret. indic. of the verb mega ‘be able’. Since the subject of the sentence is the pl. benteinar ‘wound-twigs [SWORDS]’, eds either adopt the reading máttu (3rd pers. pl. pret. indic.) found in 471 and in 340ˣ (so Skj B and this edn) or emend mátti to the pret. subj. mætti ‘should have been able’ (Edd. Min.; Skald). Kock (NN §3289) adduces the pret. subj. dygði in the following long-line in support of an emendation to a subj. However, according to Nygaard (NS §§293-5) verb forms in the indic. are usual in dependent clauses introduced by svá at/svát, unless the main clause contains a negation, a question, an exhortation or a word meaning ‘worthy’ or ‘suitable’.

grammar

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-

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Framarr Lv 3^VIII (Ket 38)/6 — máttu ‘they were able’

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Framarr Lv 3VIII (Ket 38)/6 — máttu ‘they were able’

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grammar

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Framarr Lv 3^VIII (Ket 38)/6 — máttu ‘they were able’