On the dative singular -u ending in monosyllabic strong feminine ō-stem substantives in Old Icelandic: An overview and longitudinal study
The dative singular ending form of monosyllabic strong feminine ō-stem substantives in Modern Icelandic is typically a null, or zero, ending, where there was at a much earlier stage a -u ending. This archaic dative singular -u ending was already on the decline in Old Icelandic but can still be seen at this time in select lexical items. The transition from the archaic -u ending to the null ending in monosyllabic strong feminine ō-stem substantives took place during the development from Old to Modern Icelandic. The dative singular -u endings decline began before any texts that remain intact today were produced and can be seen in its infrequent use throughout Icelandic literature, with this archaic ending still occasionally appearing today in fixed phrases and poetic language. This work examines which specific monosyllabic strong feminine ō-stem substantives are known to have appeared in Old Icelandic with the archaic dative singular -u ending and provides direct evidence of these appearances. Special attention is paid to evidence of lexical items appearing in direct variation with the opposing dative singular endings. This work then examines the time frame of monosyllabic strong feminine ō-stem substantives and the dative singular ending form transition from the -u to null ending in Jónsbók manuscripts and one printed edition ranging from the 13th to 16th century.
Íslensk miðaldafræði, Þágufall, Íslenska, Forníslenska
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