Breakdown of Þú mátt ekki skjálfa af hræðslu!
þú
you
ekki
not
mega
to be allowed to
skjálfa
to shiver
af
from (out of, cause)
hræðslan
the fear
Questions & Answers about Þú mátt ekki skjálfa af hræðslu!
Why do we use af here when the English translation says 'with fear'?
In Icelandic, the preposition af (followed by the dative case) is used to express the cause of a physical or emotional state. While English uses 'with' or 'from' (like 'trembling with fear' or 'shaking from cold'), Icelandic uses af to show what is causing the involuntary reaction.
Why is the word for fear written as hræðslu instead of its dictionary form hræðsla?
The preposition af requires its object to be in the dative case. Because hræðsla is a weak feminine noun, its ending changes from -a in the nominative to -u in the dative, giving us hræðslu.
The verb mega usually means 'may' or 'to be allowed to'. Why does mátt ekki translate to 'must not'?
While mega on its own means 'may', adding ekki creates a strong prohibition, translating to 'must not'. If you instead wanted to say 'do not have to' (indicating a lack of obligation), you would use þarft ekki (from the verb þurfa).
Can the verb skjálfa also be used for shaking an object, like shaking a bottle?
No, skjálfa is strictly an intransitive verb meaning to tremble, shiver, or quake (just like the ground quaking in a jarðskjálfti). To shake an object, you would use a transitive verb like hrista.
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