The impersonal verb in Old Icelandic

CONCLUSION
sonal, as its narne ilITplies, is a
e c subject is not a person either
gr aImTIa tic or teral sense, but is something which is
hinted. but not Icelan.dic is fond of this
construct .. Ic ersonal expressions are
parallel to Engli ones, as:;
• • hvat sem hru1n kost til. • 6, .. 34) Class II •
.. .. whatever it cost
reany are not, as will -be
b
s. The main implications ai' the I c
i
om are examined below.
F st, se the impersonal subject is not t
cal person
ther efore nei ther -DY mnnber, it
is much less t than a per ject; so the
impersonal idiom
with material
ob jects than Vii th setti a b or :for events.
. . /... / h t 1 .....
• elgl mat~l a ra el~a. (p .5, 1.24) c s I (
This suggests more strongly than any per .... "'.J.J" ...... es on
6.one that this fortress was to be
no
i'rho or what made the attack.
.. .. at val"
1-0/ /.. 1 .J., •
ra otto. ausv at sofa. (p.10, 1.186) Class I ..
This
atmosphere of fear around the party.
.. .. saurs 'lara van t. .. (p.155, 1.161) Class IV •
':;':his suggests, end the t s esses, tha~ the
58.