Breakdown of Snerpan var mikil öðru megin, en hinum megin var hún lítil.
vera
to be
hún
she
en
but
lítill
small / a little (small amount)
Questions & Answers about Snerpan var mikil öðru megin, en hinum megin var hún lítil.
How does the phrase öðru megin... hinum megin work in this sentence?
Why does the second clause say var hún instead of hún var?
Why are the adjectives mikil and lítil in these forms, and why is the pronoun hún used for "it"?
They all must agree with the subject, snerpan (the quickness), which is a feminine noun. Because of this, the adjectives take the feminine nominative singular forms mikil and lítil, and we must use the feminine pronoun hún (literally "she") to refer back to it in the second clause.
The word snerpa is translated as "quickness" here. Does it have other common meanings?
Yes, snerpa is a very expressive word. While it means "quickness", "agility", or "burst of speed" (often used in sports), it can also mean "sharpness" or "ferocity" when describing weather, like a sudden, sharp gust of wind or a harsh winter storm.