Breakdown of Hásetinn sté skjálfandi úr stígvélunum.
úr
out of
stíga
to step
skjálfa
to shiver
hásetinn
the deckhand
Questions & Answers about Hásetinn sté skjálfandi úr stígvélunum.
Why is the verb sté used here instead of a regular past tense ending?
Sté is the past tense of stíga (to step). It is a strong verb, meaning it indicates the past tense by changing its root vowel rather than adding a standard suffix. Here, the vowel changes from í to é for the singular past tense.
How does the word skjálfandi work here?
The -andi ending creates the Icelandic present participle, which is very similar to the English '-ing'. It comes from the verb skjálfa (to shiver), making skjálfandi mean 'shivering'. It describes the state the deckhand was in while stepping.
Why does stígvélunum end in -unum?
The preposition úr (out of) always triggers the dative case. The base word is stígvél (boot). Because he is stepping out of 'the boots', the noun must be in the dative, plural, definite form. The -unum suffix provides exactly that.
Is hásetinn a masculine noun?
Yes, it is. The base form is háseti (deckhand), which is a weak masculine noun ending in -i. Adding the masculine definite article (the) makes it hásetinn in the nominative case.