Aðferðirnar mínar ("My Methods")

Before I actually begin, I suppose I should describe in some more detail my aðferðir, or methods, just in case I actually have readers out there. The plan is simple: every day (more or less-- I might miss some) I will select one Icelandic word that I think is interesting and perhaps even useful. Then I will write a short little blurb about that word, highlighting all of the cool things about it in order to make it more memorable for myself (and maybe for you too)!

At the end of each post, I'll write out a word summary which includes all of the grammatical information one needs to know in order to actually use it. Nouns will be given by their nominative singular forms, followed by genitive singular and nominative plural endings (in that order) as well as the grammatical gender. A slash (/) will be placed before the nominative ending to designate the root of the word (unless the nominative has no ending, as is true for many feminine and neuter words). A dash (--) will denote instances where there is no ending to be added in the genitive or the plural. Here are some examples:

hund/ur, -s, -ar (m.): dog

kak/a, köku, kökur (f.): cake

skordýr, -s, -- (n.): insect

As shown above, whenever there is a vowel shift in the stem, I will write out the genitive singular and nominative plural forms in full. Other irregularities will also be noted when necessary.

Adjectives will be given with their nominative singular forms in the masculine, feminine, and neuter, as shown below.

skemmtileg/ur, --, -t (adj.): fun

gamal/l, gömul, -t (adj.): old

Verbs will be given by their infinitive forms and, if transitive, indicate which cases they govern. They will also be listed with their present indicative singular forms (to indicate conjugation patterns and vowel shifts), the first person past indicative singular form, and the past participle. Other usage notes and irregularities will also be noted. Below is an example using the verb að þvo:

að þvo (+ acc.): to wash

Present: þvær, þværð, þvær

Past: þvoði

Participle: þvegið 

For all other words, the part of speech will be clearly marked. In the case of prepositions, the case(s) governed will also be listed.

I will not write out the pronunciation of each word as part of the summary, as Icelandic pronunciation (once you master its many intricacies) is actually much more regular than the mess we have to deal with in English. However, there is a one-page pronunciation guide available here to help you with the basics.

All words posted to this blog will be archived both alphabetically and chronologically for convenience. Links to these lists, as well as to the pronunciation guide, are located in the menu bar at the top of each page. Additionally, I have compiled a list of useful resources for language learners right here, which contains links to online dictionaries, inflection tools, and other goodies. I think they're neat; maybe you will too!

Again, I'm doing this whole project primarily for myself, so the words are presented in a way that I find easy to understand. But hopefully you will find it all easy to understand too. If there are any questions, you can always comment here and let me know. :-)

--Anthony

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