Breakdown of Goðsögnin segir að gamli bærinn sé reimtur.
vera
to be
gamall
old
bærinn
the town
að
that (conjunction)
segja
to say
goðsögnin
the legend
reimtur
haunted
Questions & Answers about Goðsögnin segir að gamli bærinn sé reimtur.
Why is the verb sé used here instead of er?
This is the core of reported speech in Icelandic! Because the sentence states what a legend says (Goðsögnin segir að...), it is expressing hearsay rather than a direct, verified fact. Icelandic uses the subjunctive mood—in this case, sé instead of the indicative er—to show that the speaker is just reporting the claim.
Why is the adjective gamli used instead of gamall?
In Icelandic, when an adjective comes before a definite noun (a noun with the definite article attached at the end, like bærinn), it must use its weak form. Since bærinn is masculine, the weak form of gamall is gamli.
How does the word goðsögnin break down?
It is a compound word. It combines goð (a god or deity) and sögn (a story, tale, or statement). Together, goðsögn means a myth or legend. The -in suffix is the feminine definite article, making it specifically the legend.
Why does reimtur end in -ur?
The adjective reimtur (haunted) describes gamli bærinn. Because bærinn is a masculine, singular noun in the nominative case (it is the subject of the second half of the sentence), the adjective must match it with the masculine nominative singular ending -ur.
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