Questions & Answers about Ég roðnaði af skömm og reiði.
Why do we use af here when the English translation says "with"?
In Icelandic, the preposition af (always followed by the dative case) is the standard way to express the underlying cause of a physical or mental state. Even though English uses "with" or "from" in phrases like "blushing with shame" or "shaking from fear", Icelandic consistently relies on causal af for these involuntary reactions to emotions.
Are skömm and reiði actually in the dative case here? They look just like their dictionary forms.
Yes, they are both dative because they follow the preposition af! The feminine noun skömm (shame) happens to be identical in the nominative, accusative, and dative singular. The feminine noun reiði (anger) is even simpler: it never changes its spelling at all in the singular, remaining reiði across all four cases.
Could I use vegna (because of) instead of af in this sentence?
Grammatically, you could say vegna skammar (remembering that vegna forces the genitive case instead of the dative), but it sounds very analytical and formal. When describing a direct, spontaneous bodily reaction to a feeling, causal af is much more natural and idiomatic than vegna.
How does the verb roðna get its meaning? Is it related to the color red?