{"id":5584,"date":"2017-09-30T18:59:47","date_gmt":"2017-09-30T18:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/icelandic\/?p=5584"},"modified":"2017-09-30T19:02:01","modified_gmt":"2017-09-30T19:02:01","slug":"reading-exercises-oh-my","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/icelandic\/2017\/09\/30\/reading-exercises-oh-my\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading Exercises, oh my!"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was recently asked to start writing book reviews for Icelandic children’s books. So for the past few days, I’ve been reading a number of novels for youngsters. One of the authors,\u00a0\u00c6var \u00de\u00f3r Benediktsson<\/strong>, is also \u00c6var v\u00edsindama\u00f0ur, whose tv program I highly recommend for practicing your listening. So I’ve been thinking quite a lot about the benefits of these books as study materials for Icelandic as a second language – what is gained from the (sometimes) tedious work of making your way through an entire book in your second, or third, or fourth language.<\/p>\n

Children\/young adult novels, in particular, are useful for learners because of the repitition of words. The book I’m reviewing now repeats, e.g., the word “svakalega” over and over, which means “tremendously, really, awfully” and is stronger than “mj\u00f6g,” e.g., and tonally different than “ofsalega” (literally: violently; figuratively: very, very, very, very) or \u00a0“\u00e6gilega” (extremely\/terribly). More on that later.<\/p>\n

But, since I wasn’t able to find any of his books that were already publicly available, I’m going to post an excerpts \u00a0(in English) from books that are intended for the same reading level, or that seem, to me, plain-spoken enough the be understandable with a little work. We\u00b4ll end on\u00a0some vocabulary to learn. You\u00b4ll notice that there\u00b4s a lot of passive voice excerpt.<\/p>\n

The excerpt that I’d like to share is a book I’ve mentioned before: Benjam\u00edn d\u00fafa, by Fri\u00f0rik Erlingsson. You’ll see in the first sentence the word “vopnasmi\u00f0ja” – or a weaponry-workshop. The story is, in fact, a coming-of-age tale recounted through Benjam\u00edn (and his friends’) adventures in pretend – pretending to be knights. Throughout the story, they learn – as knights and kids – about ethics and loyalty, about love and pain, loss, abuse: in other words, they learn about justice (r\u00e9ttl\u00e6ti – \u00f0) and injustice (rangl\u00e6ti – \u00f0)<\/em>. Without further delay:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Brot \u00far Benjam\u00edn d\u00fafu<\/span><\/p>\n

B\u00edlsk\u00farnum heima hj\u00e1 R\u00f3land haf\u00f0i veri\u00f0 breytt \u00ed vopnasmi\u00f0ju. Botninn var skorinn \u00far m\u00e1lningarf\u00f6tum<\/strong> \u00far j\u00e1rni, \u00fe\u00e6r klipptar til, bar\u00f0ar saman og l\u00f3\u00f0a\u00f0ar, sl\u00edpa\u00f0ar og p\u00fassa\u00f0ar og \u00fe\u00e1 var kominn hj\u00e1lmur sem s\u00ed\u00f0an var f\u00f3\u00f0ra\u00f0ur a\u00f0 innan<\/strong>. Skildir voru ger\u00f0ir \u00far krossvi\u00f0i. Fyrst var formi\u00f0 teikna\u00f0 \u00e1 vi\u00f0inn<\/strong>, s\u00ed\u00f0an var hann saga\u00f0ur \u00fat og svo tekinn \u00ed sundur \u00ed mi\u00f0junni. Skildirnir \u00e1ttu nefnilega<\/strong> ekki a\u00f0 vera flatir heldur \u00edhvolfir<\/strong>. \u00de\u00e1 var tekinn listi sem b\u00fai\u00f0 var a\u00f0 hefla a\u00f0eins til, skjaldarhelmingarnir festir vi\u00f0 hann me\u00f0 l\u00edmi<\/strong> og s\u00ed\u00f0ast var allt neglt rammlega<\/strong>. Skoran sem mynda\u00f0ist framan \u00e1 skildinum var fyllt me\u00f0 tr\u00e9sparsli, sl\u00edpu\u00f0 vandlega og s\u00ed\u00f0ast var skj\u00f6ldurinn lakka\u00f0ur. Sver\u00f0asm\u00ed\u00f0in var \u00f6llu meiri n\u00e1kv\u00e6mnisvinna.<\/strong> Fyrst \u00feurfti a\u00f0 hefla bla\u00f0i\u00f0 og \u00fea\u00f0 var miki\u00f0 vandaverk. Hj\u00f6ltun voru ger\u00f0 s\u00e9rstaklega og hver og einn haf\u00f0i mismunandi ger\u00f0 af hj\u00f6ltum<\/strong>. Andr\u00e9s vildi sver\u00f0 eins og Prins Valiant. Baldi vildi hafa \u00edbj\u00fagt sver\u00f0, \u00e9g haf\u00f0i mitt beint en bla\u00f0i\u00f0 var brei\u00f0ast fremst.<\/p>\n

Mamma hans Balda f\u00e9kk \u00fea\u00f0 erfi\u00f0a verkefni<\/strong> a\u00f0 sauma skikkjur og vesti. Vi\u00f0 ur\u00f0um hins vegar a\u00f0 \u00fatvega efni\u00f0 sj\u00e1lfir og \u00fea\u00f0 var\u00f0 \u00ferautin \u00feyngri. Andr\u00e9s (sem vildi hafa allt flottast) gafst ekki upp fyrr en mamma hans sam\u00feykkti a\u00f0 fara me\u00f0 honum \u00ed vefna\u00f0arv\u00f6rub\u00fa\u00f0 og kaupa efni \u00ed skikkjuna. Hann var\u00f0 ekki \u00e1n\u00e6g\u00f0ur<\/strong> fyrr en hann f\u00e9kk lo\u00f0kraga \u00e1 hana \u00ed \u00feokkab\u00f3t. Ni\u00f0ri \u00ed geymslu fann hann gamlan le\u00f0urst\u00f3l sem hann t\u00f3k \u00e1kl\u00e6\u00f0i\u00f0 af til a\u00f0 nota \u00ed vesti. Og aumingja manna hans Balda var \u00ed marga daga a\u00f0 gl\u00edma vi\u00f0 a\u00f0 sauma vesti\u00f0 hans Andr\u00e9sar. Skikkjan m\u00edn var silfurgr\u00e1 gard\u00edna me\u00f0 upphleyptu flauelsmynstri<\/strong> og haf\u00f0i einhvern t\u00edma hangi\u00f0 fyrir stofugluggunum svo \u00fea\u00f0 var n\u00f3g efni \u00ed vesti l\u00edka. Baldi f\u00e9kk \u00feykka dimmrau\u00f0a skikkju<\/strong> me\u00f0 gullbryddingum og vesti \u00far marglitu flaueli sem mynda\u00f0i t\u00edglamunstur. Dagana sem mamma hans var a\u00f0 sauma notu\u00f0um vi\u00f0 til a\u00f0 m\u00e1la skildina og sver\u00f0in. Vi\u00f0 \u00e1kv\u00e1\u00f0um a\u00f0 \u00e1 skildinum yr\u00f0i t\u00e1knmynd sem hver og einn veldi fyrir sig<\/strong>. Andr\u00e9s gat ekki gert upp vi\u00f0 sig hvort hann vildi hafa \u00f6skrandi lj\u00f3n me\u00f0 v\u00e6ngi e\u00f0a svart pardusd\u00fdr me\u00f0 gl\u00f3andi augu svo \u00e1 endanum \u00e1kva\u00f0 hann a\u00f0 hafa tv\u00edh\u00f6f\u00f0a svartan \u00f6rn \u00e1 rau\u00f0um grunni me\u00f0 \u00fatbreidda v\u00e6ngi og hvassar kl\u00e6r. Baldi haf\u00f0i hv\u00edtan einhyrning<\/strong> \u00e1 bl\u00e1um grunni. Honum fannst hestar svo fallegir \u00fe\u00f3tt hann v\u00e6ri dau\u00f0hr\u00e6ddur vi\u00f0 \u00fe\u00e1.<\/strong> Einhvern t\u00edma \u00feegar hann var l\u00edtill haf\u00f0i hann veri\u00f0 settur \u00e1 hestbak og var\u00f0 svo hr\u00e6ddur a\u00f0 han f\u00f3r a\u00f0 grenja<\/strong> hvar sem hann s\u00e1 hest \u00fe\u00f3tt hann v\u00e6ri langt \u00ed burtu. en \u00feeir voru samt upp\u00e1haldsd\u00fdrin hans \u00fe\u00f3tt hann \u00feyr\u00f0i ekki a\u00f0 koma n\u00e1l\u00e6gt \u00feeim.<\/p>\n

– Og einhyrningar, sag\u00f0i hann, eru fallegastir. \u00deeir eru konungar hestanna.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00c9g valdi m\u00e9r hv\u00edta d\u00fafu \u00e1 d\u00f6kkgr\u00e1um grunni.<\/p>\n

\u00de\u00e1 var bara eftir a\u00f0 \u00fatb\u00faa skjaldarmerki Rau\u00f0a drekans framan \u00e1 vestin. \u00dea\u00f0 var klippt \u00fat \u00far rau\u00f0u filti og l\u00edmt \u00e1 hv\u00edtan filtgrunn og s\u00ed\u00f0an l\u00edmt og sauma\u00f0 framan \u00e1 vestisbrj\u00f3sti\u00f0.<\/p>\n

\u00dea\u00f0 voru h\u00e1t\u00ed\u00f0legir<\/strong> og alvarlegir<\/strong> ungir riddarar sem stilltu s\u00e9r upp fyrir framan st\u00f3ra spegilinn heima hj\u00e1 Balda, \u00edkl\u00e6ddir \u00feessum d\u00fdrlegu kl\u00e6\u00f0um, me\u00f0 tr\u00e9sver\u00f0 vi\u00f0 s\u00ed\u00f0u og skj\u00f6ld \u00ed hendi<\/strong>. \u00dea\u00f0 var augnablik \u00ferungi\u00f0 merkingu sem vi\u00f0 fundum allir en g\u00e1tum ekki \u00fatsk\u00fdrt. \u00deetta var ekki bara leikur. \u00c1 bak vi\u00f0 \u00feessa b\u00faninga og \u00feessi vopn var heilagur tilgangur, \u00e1kv\u00f6r\u00f0un sem ekki var\u00f0 hagga\u00f0: Gegn rangl\u00e6ti, me\u00f0 r\u00e9ttl\u00e6ti.<\/strong> Og \u00ed speglinum s\u00e1um vi\u00f0 \u00feennan tilgang<\/strong>, \u00feessa \u00e1kv\u00f6r\u00f0un ver\u00f0a a\u00f0 raunveruleika.<\/strong> Vi\u00f0 vorum riddarar, str\u00ed\u00f0smenn r\u00e9ttl\u00e6tisins, rei\u00f0ub\u00fanir til bar\u00e1ttu<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Or\u00f0afor\u00f0i\/\/Some Vocabularly From The Story<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Botninn var skorinn \u00far m\u00e1lningarf\u00f6tum: passive voice.\u00a0“The bottom was cut out of a paint bucket”
    \n–skera = to cut; skera \u00far = to cut out. \u00dar\u00a0always takes the dative. So M\u00e1lningarfata, which is a compound word (m\u00e1lning = paint (f) and fata = bucket (F).<\/li>\n
  2. Hj\u00e1lmur sem s\u00ed\u00f0an var f\u00f3\u00f0ra\u00f0ur:\u00a0passive voice. \u00a0“A helmet that previous was lined on the inside”
    \nF\u00f3\u00f0ra\u00f0ur is from f\u00f3\u00f0ra, meaning “to line”. It has the suffix “-a\u00f0ur,” which is used to turn a verb into an adjective.<\/li>\n
  3. A\u00f0 innan = on the inside.<\/li>\n
  4. Fyrst var formi\u00f0 teikna\u00f0 \u00e1 vi\u00f0inn:\u00a0passive voice.\u00a0“First the form was drawn\/traced on the wood”
    \nOf note: you’ll see how the word order changed here; in a nutshell, the verb comes before the subject if there’s a word like “fyrst,” “‘i \u00e1gust,” “allt \u00ed einu,” at the beginning of the sentence or clause. Note to self: return to\u00a0word order later.<\/li>\n
  5. Nefnilega: Namely; that is to say<\/li>\n
  6. \u00cdhvolfir:\u00a0\u00a0Plural masculine form of \u00edhvolfur, meaning “concave”<\/li>\n
  7. L\u00edm:\u00a0Glue (n)<\/li>\n
  8. Rammlega:\u00a0Adverb.\u00a0Strongly, sturdily.<\/li>\n
  9. N\u00e1kv\u00e6mnisvinna:\u00a0Precision work, precise work.\u00a0Compound word:\u00a0n\u00e1kv\u00e6mni + possessive ending (-s) + vinna.<\/li>\n
  10. Hver og einn haf\u00f0i mismunandi ger\u00f0 af hj\u00f6ltum: “Each and every one of us had a different type of holt\/handle”
    \n–Hver og einn – each of us\/each
    \n–Mismunandi: different\/various. This adjective doesn’t decline. \ud83d\ude42
    \n–Ger\u00f0 af: types of\/makes of.\u00a0Af always takes dative.<\/li>\n
  11. Verkefni –\u00a0This word can mean a lot of different things depending on context. Generally: “project\/assignment\/task” Heimaverkefni = homework.<\/li>\n
  12. \u00c1n\u00e6g\u00f0ur =\u00a0the state of being pleased or satisfied.
    \n\u00c9g er \u00e1n\u00e6g\u00f0 me\u00f0 \u00fea\u00f0\/yfir einkunninni minni (I’m pleased with that\/I’m pleased over my grade”<\/li>\n
  13. Skikkja = a robe (f)<\/li>\n
  14. T\u00e1knmynd \u00a0= Symbol\/icon (f); velja fyrir sig = choose\/choose for yourself<\/li>\n
  15. Einhyrning: Unicorn! (f)<\/li>\n
  16. Dau\u00f0hr\u00e6ddur vi\u00f0 \u00fe\u00e1: scared to death of them (vi\u00f0 takes accusative)<\/li>\n
  17. A\u00f0 grenja:\u00a0scream, shout; grenjandi rigning = pouring rain<\/li>\n
  18. Konungar hestanna:\u00a0Choose this because it shows the possessive in action. This means “kings of the horses”. You can also use “af,” in which case you would use dative. “kongungar af hestunum.”<\/li>\n
  19. H\u00e1t\u00ed\u00f0legir:\u00a0In this context, it means something like “serious” rather than “festive,” in my reading. “Regal” might be the right word. There are two terms this might refer to: h\u00e1t\u00ed\u00f0leiki (solemnity) or simply “h\u00e1t\u00ed\u00f0” – a festival (literally “high time”). Dictionary says that this word means: “sem hefur h\u00e1t\u00ed\u00f0arbl\u00e6, vir\u00f0ulegur;” — that which has a celebratory-felling, respectable.” This is one of those words that’s a teaching-tool because they require a closer look. \ud83d\ude42<\/li>\n
  20. Alvarlegir – serious (like straight-faced-serious)<\/li>\n
  21. Me\u00f0 tr\u00e9sver\u00f0 vi\u00f0 s\u00ed\u00f0u og skj\u00f6ld \u00ed hendi –\u00a0“With wooden swords\u00a0at (our) sides and shields in (our) hands.”
    \nTr\u00e9sver\u00f0 is in accusative plural. Vi\u00f0, in this context, means “next to\/at” (other example where “vi\u00f0” is a preposition of place: “\u00e9g b\u00fd vi\u00f0 Klambrat\u00fan” – I live next to Klambratun park)<\/li>\n
  22. Gegn rangl\u00e6ti, me\u00f0 r\u00e9ttl\u00e6ti.:\u00a0Against injustice, (fighting for) justice!<\/li>\n
  23. Tilgangur: A goal or purpose (m)<\/li>\n
  24. Raunveruleiki: reality (m) — -leiki words are masculine. -leiki means “having the quality of” (-ly, -ness, -ity)<\/li>\n
  25. Rei\u00f0ub\u00fanir til bar\u00e1ttu: Rei\u00f0ub\u00fainn til e-s.
    \n“Prepared for struggle” “prepared for the fight ahead”; “ready”
    \n– less immediate than “tilb\u00fainn,” (you wouldn’t typically say “\u00e9g er rei\u00f0ub\u00fain a\u00f0 fara”
    \n“til” always takes genitive.<\/span>
    \n“bar\u00e1tta” = struggle; “l\u00edfsbar\u00e1tta” is a feminine noun meaning\u00a0the struggle for life.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    And, just in case you were looking for something to watch this week, here\u00b4s an episode of Kastlj\u00f3s about abandoned farms and houses in Iceland.
    \n<\/a><\/p>\n

    I was watching it while writing this blog \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

    Til next time–<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I was recently asked to start writing book reviews for Icelandic children’s books. So for the past few days, I’ve been reading a number of novels for youngsters. One of the authors,\u00a0\u00c6var \u00de\u00f3r Benediktsson, is also \u00c6var v\u00edsindama\u00f0ur, whose tv program I highly recommend for practicing your listening. So I’ve been thinking quite a lot…<\/p>\n

    Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":145,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[90791,91175],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5584","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-icelandic-culture","category-icelandic-grammar"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/icelandic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/icelandic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/icelandic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/icelandic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/145"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/icelandic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5584"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/icelandic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5597,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/icelandic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5584\/revisions\/5597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/icelandic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/icelandic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/icelandic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}