Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2002, Page 65

Quirky Case in Faroese
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Opersónlig Sagnorð í Føroyskum
63
Hjalmar P. Petersen
FO-360 Sandavági
email: HjalmarP@hotmail.com
Úrtak
Her verður víst á, hvørji sagnorð eru ópersónlig í før-
oyskum, hvat thema grundorðið skal hava, og tær broyt-
ingar sum hendar eru frá hvønnfalli til hvør- ella hvørj-
umfall og frá hvørjumfalli til hvørfall. Greinin byggir á
tilfar funnið í orðabókum, bløðum, bíbliutýðinguin og
heimasíðum.1
Abstract
In this paper we will discuss impersonal verbs in
Faroese. The thematic role of the subject and the
changes that have occurred from accusative to nomina-
tive or dative and from dative to nominative. In addition
to this we compare the Faroese data with Icleandic. The
data we have used is from dictionaries, newspapers,
translations of the Bible and home-pages.
Introduction
Faroese and Icelandic are the only modern
Scandinavian languages that allow Ac-
cusative and Dative Subject Constructions
(hence: ASC and DSC); see among many
others (Ura, 2000; Jónsson, 1997/98;
Barnes, 1986), and it has been shown in
Barnes (1986) that the the NP subject in
ASC and DSC behave like ordinary sub-
jects in Faroese. The same has been shown
to be the case for Icelandic (Zaenen et «/.,
1985).
The aim of the present paper is to de-
scribe ASCs and DSCs in Faroese, and to
show any changes that have occurred. The
nature of these changes are that accusative
subjects change to either nominative or da-
tive, while dative subjects change to nomi-
native, il' they have changed at all.
Our goal is purely descriptive - we have
not included any theoretical section, since
we will leave this to future research and re-
searchers2.
Illustrating ASC and DSC
Accusative Subject Constructions like (la)
below are as a general rule not represented
in spoken Faroese. Speakers use nomina-
tive, see (lb). The example in (la) is from
the classical Bible translation of Viderø and
Dahl. (lc) would be ungrammatical or at
least very strange in modern Faroese, hence
the star.
The verb, kitla ‘tickle’ in (lc), occurres
also in Icelandic, where it takes an ac-
cusative subject, as opposite to Faroese,
which only allows nominative subjects
with this verb. Note that dative is also ruled
out with the verb kitla ‘tickle’ (ld).
(1) a. meg droymdi (ein) dreym
me-acc. dreamt (a) dream-acc.
‘I had a dream’ (Bible)
b. eg droymdi (ein) dreym
I-nom. dreamt (a) dream-acc.
Fróðskaparrit 50. bók 2002: 63-76