Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1999, Page 269
IX Contracted forms
249
type A2k, except Od st. 21.5 and the example from Merlinusspå, which
are C3.
ESk II st. 2.6:
ESk XI st. 3.8:
Bjami st. 1.2:
Isldrst. 19.8:
Nik I st. 2.8:
Od st. 8.8:
Od st. 9.8:
Od st. 12.8:
Od st. 21.5:
Merl I st. 8.8:
Sturl VI st. 2.6:
ofått, séa knåtti (Skj. A 1: 457, B 1: 425)
Freys nipt bråa driptir (Skj. A 1: 478, B 1: 450)
fårverk, bråa merki (Skj. A 1: 542, B 1: 523)
hann ofpum manni (Skj. A 1: 559, B 1: 543)
almptt séa knåttir (Skj. A 1: 560, B 1: 546)
margspakr,6 grpum vargi (Skj. A 1: 575, B 1: 569)
go5s pr, truu boSna (Skj. A 1: 575, B 1: 569)
vegsamr truu ramri (Skj. A 1: 576, B 1: 570)7
lét ofpum ytis8 (Skj. A 1: 577, B 1: 572)
en å5r séi (Skj. A 2: 11, B 2: 12)
feksk tafn blpum hrafni (Skj. A 2: 125, B 2: 132)9
With the exception of Sturla PorSarson, the known poets are all from the
12th or the first decades of the 13th century, and the undated poems are
generally taken to be from the 12th century. The age of Islendingadråpa
is discussed by Jonas Kristjånsson, who believes that it is earlier than
1200, but the occurrence of an uncontracted form is part of his evidence
(Jonas Kristjånsson 1975: 84-85). This may be the case for some of the
other poems as well. Sturla Porbarson’s Håkonarflokkr is dated to
1263-64. The examples from Merlinusspå are from the beginning of the
13th century.
The skaldic evidence thus indicates that the uncontracted forms gen-
erally disappear in the first decades of the 13th century, but may never-
theless occur in the poetry of a leamed skald such as Sturla much later.
As we have already seen, it is more problematic to spot the earliest
contracted forms. If Sievers’s rule banning the form ^ x in the second lift
were applied (cf. p. 248 above), we would have some very early ex-
amples of contractions, namely of séi > sé (cf. Finnur Jonsson 1901: 94):
6 Conjecture, ms.: marg spam (Skj. A 1: 575).
7 A similar example in Rekstefja (st. 9.6; Skj. A 1: 545, B 1: 527), but the manuscript
readings vary (cf. Kon råb Gfslason 1889: 262).
8 Conjecture, ms.: ofarn ytir (Skj. A 1: 577).
9 Variants to blåm: gefit (Flat.), af pvi (Sth. 8) are probably scribal emendations “metri
causa” (cf. KonråS Gfslason 1889: 269).