Íslenskt mál og almenn málfræði - 01.01.2023, Page 95

Grimstad 1989:xl), and has a mixed style of Icelandic and Norwegian.
Thus, this example is compatible with the idea that the change in the
prepositional case of Icelandic án might have been a result of the Nor -
wegian influence.
Subsequently, án was occasionally used with the genitive in Icelandic.
ONP provides six examples of án from AM 657 a-b 4to, two of which
are used with the genitive (8a–b):8
(8) a. hversu kristinn maðr ætti án aflátz at vera
how Christian man have without leaving-off(G) to be
varr um sik
aware about self(A)
‘how a Christian man should incessantly be on his/her guard’
(AM 657 a-b 4to:104)
b. þat mátti eingi maðr finna án tilsagnar.
it could no man find without guidance(G)
‘No man could find it without guidance.’ (AM 657 a-b 4to:261)
Compared to Table 1, AM 657 a-b 4to contains relatively many genitive
examples. Following Johansson (1997:328–329), they were written in
different hands.
Interestingly, AM 657 a-b 4to has often been analyzed in relation to
Norwegian. Jakobsen (1964), among others, provides an extensive dis-
cussion of Norwegian features in Clárus saga as well as other works. One
of the Norwegian features registered in the manuscript is the use of the
privative prefix ú- instead of ó-. This is the usual form in AM 657 b 4to,
and Jakobsen concludes that the main scribe uses the ú- form under the
influence of the Norwegian writing style (Jakobsen 1964:55). As the
scribe exhibits a clear tendency towards Norwegianisms, Jakobsen
assumes that the scribe might have worked on the manuscript at Skálholt,
where many of the bishops during the 14th century were of Norwegian
origin (Jakobsen 1964:53).
The preposition án also occurs sporadically in Icelandic documents
(cf. Diplomatarium Islandicum).
Case government of the Icelandic preposition án 95
8 ONP gives one additional example of án from AM 657 a-b 4to (án allrar sakar
‘without any cause’, governing the genitive). However, following Gering (1882:101), the
example seems to be based on Holm papp 66 folˣ, from around 1690.