Re: CHAT: Icelandic Numbers (was: Re: CHAT: San Marino)

>From: DOUGLAS KOLLER <LAOKOU@...>
>Reply-To: Constructed Languages List <CONLANG@...>
>To: CONLANG@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU
>Subject: Re: Icelandic Numbers (was: Re: CHAT: San Marino)
>Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 01:39:26 -0700
>
>From: "Oskar Gudlaugsson"
>
> > Hehe. You just touched on a subject you might not have wanted to touch
>on
> > after all ;) Icelandic number declension is, to say the least, highly
> > archaic. Numbers 1-4 (!) are declined in all four cases and three
>genders.
> > Let's see...
>
>[snip the info I asked for (thanks, Oskar)]
>
> > Yes, this is indeed an absolute nightmare for foreigners learning
>Icelandic.
> > Very few languages, even Indo-European ones, preserve such an elaborate
> > number declension system. When reading about IE, I also somehow got the
> > understanding that even in that language, the number 4 was undeclined.
>But
> > couldn't be true, I mean, how could Icelandic/Old Norse just make up
>such
>a
> > declension? It usually goes the other way, right?
>
>Through the languages I'm familiar with and by analogy, I would have
>guessed
>that you stopped at three. Iceland, it seems, dares to be different.
>
> > This also creates us (Icelanders) a dilemma, when we're asked to count
>to
> > ten in our language. In which gender should we count? (case isn't a
> > question, we'd always choose nominative). Usually we count in masc, but
>if
> > we're quantifying an item, we're of course required to make the genders
> > agree.
>
>Haven't you answered your own question? I find it very hard to believe that
>there's no citation form for numbers. With a noun in the equation, I can
>see
>kids saying, "One apple, two apples, three apples..." or "One paper clip,
>two paper clips, three paper clips" and having that noun invoke the
>appropriate gender-specific nominative form. But if you said, "Hey kids,
>let's count from one to thirty." I can't imagine someone saying: "counting
>apples or paper clips?. Masculine? Okay. 2x2=4? Surely, students don't stop
>a class and say, "Okay, I need to know if we're multiplying dogs or
>chairs."
>
> > So, anybody still interested in learning Icelandic? ;)
>
>It's a *cool* Nordlang. Mere mention of copious, arcane noun declensions
>sends erotic shivers down my spine. Still, I'd be better motivated if
>Iceland offered neat, visa-getting job opportunities for wayward Americans
And if I tell you it does? Getting a job in Iceland is a piece of cake. If
you're an educated Westerner, all the better. Speaking or not speaking
Icelandic isn't such a big issue anymore, since we can't afford to be picky
when we're looking to enlarge our workforce. You see, there's such a lack of
people to do all the work of our expanding economy, foreigners are being
"imported" to do all the crappy jobs (but educated Westerners could well get
real jobs, though).

So if you actually want to live in Iceland and learn Icelandic, that
wouldn't be a problem :)

Oskar

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