Lögberg-Heimskringla - 07.03.1986, Blaðsíða 2

2-WINNIPEG, FÖSTUDAGUR 7. MARZ 1986

Children's Corner
Barnahornið
Icelandic Lessons
Now what is this? The Corner has yet to receive its first letter and it is
quite a while since it was born. This is very disappointing. You surely must
have something to tell us and/or a picture or a drawing to show. Well, this
will be the last part of the Icelandic alphabet and here goes: I am ý and I
sound like the ee in feet. I am þ and I sound like the th in words like think.
I am æ and I sould like the i in like. I am ö and am the last letter in the
alphabet. I sound like the u in turn or the i in the word bird. Next week
we will begin putting all these letters together in words and then form short
sentences.
You must be thinking about spring. In some parts of Canada temperatures
have risen and kids already are outside enjoying early spring. Here is a pic-
ture taken at the íslendingadagurinn (the Icelandic Festival) at Gimli a few
years ago. Maybe you recognize some of these kids.
Lesson 8
We have in past weeks studied
some of the most important parts of
Icelandic grammar. They are the
definite article, cases and personal
pronouns. This week we will ex-
amine one of the most important
verbs, að vera (to be), and how it's
conjugated with the personal
pronouns.
English Icelandic
(Singular)
I am Ég er
you are þú ert
He is Hann er
She is Hún er
It is það er
að lesa (reading)
(Plural)
We are við erum
you are þið eruð
they are þeir eru
þær eru
þau er
Let us quickly compare English to
Icelandic. You notice very little dif-
Þekkirðu höfundinn?
Jú, þú áttir kollgátuna. Það var
Guttormur J. Guttormsson sem orti
vísuna í síðasta þætti. Hún er reyndar
fyrsta erindið í kvæði hans
"Fýlupokinn". Árið 1963 ferðaðist
skáldið til íslands og þá skrifaði Helgi
Sæmundsson eftirfarandi um
Guttorm í Alþýðublaðið:
"Guttormur hugsar iðulega austur
um haf í ljóði, en hann yrkir líka oft
um fósturjörð sína, Nýja ísland. Ber
Henni söguna af karlmannlegri
hreinskilni. Kvæði hans um baráttu
frumbýlingsáranna þarf varla að
kynna, en af þeim ber sennilega San-
dy Bar hæst. Guttormur man glöggt
þraut foreldra sinna og
samferðamanna þeirra heiman af
íslandi. Sjálfur hefir hann átt við
fátækt að stríða, unnið hörðum
höndum langan dag og verið úti í
misjöfnum veðrum. Ails þess gætir í
ljóðum hans, en Guttormur yrkir líka
um frjósemd og mildi Kanada,
sléttuna, sem hefur brauðfætt hann,
vatnið og bjartan morgun, fagurt
hádegi og blítt kvöld. Jafnframt eru
á skáldhörpu hans strengir, sem túlka
fjalladyn, stormaþyt og vatnagang,
æsta hríð, dimma nótt og vindbarinn
skóg." Varla er hægt að skilja við
Guttorm án þess að geta fyndni hans.
Hann verður að teljast eitt snjall-
asta kímniskáld Vest.ur-íslendinga.
Og hver er næstur?
Andið hljótt — og hlustið djúpt,
hlustið — ótal sálir mæla —
grafir opnast, líða ljúft
ljósir svipir — hjartað gljúpt
snertir tvinnuð sorg og sæla.
Hér er mót á helfum stað,
hér er stór og mikil saga
skráð á sérhvert skógarblað. —
Skilji fólkið, stækkar það
heilög ritning reynsludaga.
ference. But as you form a sentence
— Eg er að lesa (I am reading) — you
see a difference. The infinitive of a
verb in Icelandic corresponds to the
present continuous in English (að lesa
= reading). From the table above you
see how easy it is to form a simple
sentence in Icelandic. You start the
sentence with any of the personal
pronouns, use the corresponding
form of the verb vera, and finally
add the infinitive with the connect-
ing word að.
Here are some verbs, which have
occurred in previous lessons. Practise
forming sentences in the manner des-
cribed above. Að kyssa — að stökkva
— að tala — að bjarga.
Exercise: Við erum að fara til
hennar — Hún er að elda mat handa
okkur — Þeir eru að horfa á
sjónvarpinu en en þær eru að baka
kökur — Þið eruð ekki hrædd — Jón
og guðrún eru að lesa, þau fara
brððum að sofa. Translate into Eng-
lish. Then change singular, personal
pronouns to plural. Example: Við
erum becomes ég er. Remember,
you must also change the verb.
Vocabulary: að fara — to go; að
elda — to cook; mat (from maturj —
food, meal; handa — for; að horfa
á — to watch; sjónvarpinu (from
sjónvarpið) — TV; að baka — to
bake; kökur (from kaka) — cake;
brædd (of hræddur) — scared; að
lesa — to read; bráðum — soon; að
sofa — to sleep.
Last week's problem: Okkur:
Acc., ykkar: gen. (remember prep til
always governs gen.) Þeim: at (the
verb að leiðast takes dat.), þá: acc
(prep. um governs acc) Ég:nom;
þig:acc; Við:nom; honum: dat (verb
að óska takes dat) Þær: acc. (verb að
vanta takes acc); okkur:dat.; þú:nom.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING
ICELANDIC NATIONAL LEAGUE — ANNUAL CONFERENCE
APRIL 4, 5 & 6, 1986
Biltmore Hotel, 395 Kingsway, Vancouver, B.C.
THEME: SAMVINNA - Working Together
AGENDA
Friday: 4:00 — Registration
5;00 — Presidents’ meeting; Chapter Presidents and
Executive
Social evening — Hosted by the B.C. chapter
Saturday: 8:30-9:30 — Late registration, coffee
9:30 — President’s Address
9:45 — Delegates Briefing
10:00-12:00 — Workshop (all conference attendees);
Developing Stronger Ties — Elva
Simundsson, coordinator
12:00-2:00 — Lunch; Address — Robert Asgeirsson,
Pres., Icelandic Canadian Club of B.C.
2:00-4:00 — Workshop A (option); Media — Make them
work for you — Bob Asgeirsson
or: Workshop B (option); Program Develop-
ment: Language and Culture
4:00-5:00 — Provincial Planning Sessions. Delegates
meet by province.
6:00 — Cocktail hour
7:00 — Dinner — Dance
Sunday: 9:00-1:00 — Business Meeting; Election of officers
Saga Tours Presents
The Icelandic National League Convention
Western Canada Group Excursion
2-9 April, 1986
On April 5-6. 1986. the lcelandic National League Annual Convention will be held in
Vancouver. B.C.. for the first time. To commemorate this event. Saga Tours Inc.. has design-
eda special “railway excursion" to and from the convention for residents of Manitoba and
surrounding areas. This excursion will leave Winnipeg on the evening of ÍVednesday. 2
April: and ivill return on Wednesday- moming, 9 April.
This excursion includes round trip travel aboard a modem VIA RAIL daycoach. featur
ing a "circle tour" of Western Canada. Excursion guides will co-ordinate group activities
on board the train. Participants will travel as a group — a relaxing way to see the splen-
dours of our country in the company of friends. both old and new.
Sleeping car accommodations are available for an extra charge. One way or delayed retum
fares may also be arranged (extra charge).
For a complete brochure. or to make your reservations (Deadline 1 March. 1986). please
contact:
Saga Tours Inc., Box 213, St. James P.O., Winnipeg MB R3J 3R4
or Eric Jonasson (204) 885-5792
This space made available courtesy
Neil Bardal Inc.
Family Funeral Counsellors
984 Portage Ave., 786-4716