The impersonal verb in Old Icelandic

28 ..
/
Vel mun per rara. (p.96, 1.263)
The idiomatic Engli sh translation would aupply the sub ject
"thingsll: "Things will go well for you'l.
/
En mer pykkir miklu betra ••• (p.97, 1.296)
Here is the familiar impersonal ilpykkja 11
plus dative object.
Grettis saga:
I
.. • en fam pykkir slee gr til at gista. • .. (p .100, 1.4)
Here again is the familiar pattern of " pyk..1):ir il plus dative
(ffun) "
.. " pv{ at honum p6tti cerit 1.h'11. " • (p.103, 1.55)
• " at honum brygai via. (p.104, 1.89)
/ "lS. ( )
• • ella mun per slysgjarnt verva. p.105, 1.133
The English transcription is It". or it will become unlucky
for you". The II i ttl again suggests c1estiny. Compare p .. 88,
1.31 (Class V (d), p.91, 1,,96 (Class Vee)).
pa1tr AU01LD~ vestfirzka:
• • fersk peim vel ... " (p.129, 1.8)
Compare p.36, 1.72~
11 ... hafoi Edt farizk vel at;1 Class VI,
I / /
also p .. 67, 1 .. 28: 8 'Ok forsk honum pVl seinna!' •.
C
lass III.
• •
/
m~r fY-l'i r Pyy,Jc j a {.. .. "
fa myndi (p .. 131, 1.84)
The verb construction
is !lpyk..1(ir fyrir [n
plus a dative, which
is highly idiomatic.
The dative is the focus "one1l (I);
the translation is Il one is (I V/ould be) displeased ll "
'I'he
Ilmyndi H
suggests tense rather trJ8.n modali ty here" However,
there is something of mood in the verb, so the quotation could
be classified Class III (a).