Gripla - 01.01.1977, Page 178

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GRIPLA
In the forms of the substantivized present participles the u-umlaut does
not operate, for the plural normally contains the suffix -end- and is thus
not susceptible to u-umlaut. There is, however, an older dative plural in
-önd-um (normal -end-um) contrasting with the singular suffix -and-
(and with the older gen. pl. -and-a, normal suffix -end-á). However, the
history of the u-umlaut in the present participle is complicated and
requires extensive separate treatment; -öndum and -endum are not the
only dative plural endings of the present participle in the history of
Icelandic. This will not be discussed further here.
(II) Adjectives susceptible to u-umlaut (including past participles).
All such adjectives display u-umlaut in the following strong cases:
dative singular masculine/neuter and dative plural; in the following
weak cases: oblique singular feminine and the plural of all three
genders. E.g. valinn ‘chosen’: dat. sg. m. völd-um, dat. sg. n. völd-u,
dat. pl. völd-um; weak oblique sg. f. völd-u, weak plural of all three
genders völd-u.
In addition to this, all adjectives except those ending in -in- display
u-umlaut in the strong nominative singular feminine and in the nomina-
tive/accusative plural neuter: fagur ‘fair’, strong nom. sg. f. and nom./
acc. pl. n. fögur. The strong nominative singular feminine and nomina-
tive/accusative plural neuter of valinn is valin, not völin; if -d- is sub-
stituted for -in-, as it sometimes is, the u-umlaut does take place: nom.
sg. f. and nom./acc. pl. n. völd, not vald.
With adjectives it is necessary to distinguish (a) strong inflexion, (b)
weak inflexion, (c) inflexion of the comparative, and (d) lack of in-
flexion. Lack of inflexion entails lack of u-umlaut, cf. afl-vana ‘deficient
in strength’, ein-mana ‘solitary’, etc. Indeclinable adjectives include the
adjectival usages of the present participle: talandi ‘speaking’.
(III) Verbs susceptible to u-umlaut (except their participles, for
which see above). All verbs display u-umlaut in the first person plural
present (indicative, subjunctive, imperative) and in the preterite plural
(indicative, subjunctive). E.g. kalla ‘call’: lp. pl. pres. köll-um, köll-
umst — köllustum, pl. pret. köll-uðum, köll-uðuð, köll-uðu; köll-uð-
umst—köll-uðustum, köll-uðuzt, köll-uðust. This formulation implies
that root vowels which are due to such processes as ablaut and i-umlaut
are inserted into the phonological representations before u-umlaut steps