Breakdown of Fyrst vantar mig hjálp, svo bjargast ég og samlagast loksins.
og
and
ég
I
mig
me (acc)
svo
then / so (therefore)
vanta
to need (to lack)
hjálpin
the help
fyrst
first (adverb)
loksins
finally
bjargast
to get by
samlagast
to assimilate
Questions & Answers about Fyrst vantar mig hjálp, svo bjargast ég og samlagast loksins.
Why is the pronoun mig used with vantar instead of ég?
Vanta (to need/lack) is an impersonal verb that always takes the accusative case for the person experiencing the need. Therefore, you must use mig instead of the nominative ég. It's also worth noting that the thing needed, hjálp, is also in the accusative case here.
Are bjargast and samlagast both deponent verbs?
Only samlagast acts as a true deponent verb here, meaning it is used with the -st ending to mean "to assimilate" and lacks a direct active counterpart for that meaning. Bjargast, however, is the middle-voice form of the active verb bjarga (to save/rescue). The middle-voice bjargast idiomatically means "to manage" or "to get by" (literally "to save oneself").
Why does the case switch back to the nominative ég for bjargast and samlagast?
While impersonal verbs like vanta force the logical subject into the accusative or dative, middle-voice and deponent verbs ending in -st almost always take a standard nominative subject. The sentence shifts naturally from the accusative experience of mig vantar back to the nominative action of ég bjargast.
Why is the subject ég placed after the verb bjargast instead of before it?
This is a great example of the V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The second clause starts with the adverb svo (so/then), which fills the first position. The verb bjargast must immediately follow to stay in the second position, which pushes the subject ég to the third position.
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