The impersonal verb in Old Icelandic

13.
than as a modal verb; hence this example not in Class I (a).
The English translation is also impersonal, using as subject
/
Brennu-Njals saga:
• • en po korn par at ••• (p.91, 1.99)
"par" is of course a.Tladverb so could not be the subject.
Then the subject is unexpressed and the verb is impersonal.
The English translation is tland then it came about there that ••• "
• • p6 at her gangi eigi. (p.98, 1.334)
!lGangi" equals "it come(-s) aboutll (subjunctive).
Grettis saga;
/
• • sja hversu ferr ••• (p.lOl, 1.20)
/ . (
• • hvar pa var komlt ••• p.lOl, 1.
The suppressed sub ject means il the sign s of G lam's presence
having been there".
The Icelandic impersonal form is less
explicit than the English translation would be but is more
succinct, direct and mysterious:
what manner of creature is
this who has been there, the Icelandic seems to ask.
pvi gekk lengi ••• (p.l03, 1.47)
IIYV{lI is a dative us
• •
as an adverb.
/ /
hratt stundillfi fyrir, en stundum dro fra.(p.104, 1.86)
/' /
"Hrattll ani It dro frail are both impersonal verbs, from IIhrinda ll
/
and II drags. frail.
The general idea of the sub ject is "clouds 'l
which would be the subject in an English translation. The
impersonal allows full attention to be given to the moonlight,
without distraction by mention of the clouds: line 86, just