3.

Ár var alda / þar er Ýmir bygði,

In times of old / then Ymir build,

• ár adv early, anciently
• var past vera be
• alda noun pl gen öld, ǫld f. time, age, period
• þar adv. there
• bygði 3sg. past byggja live, dwell, settle, build

infinitive	vera
present participle	verandi
past participle	verit
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	em	var
2nd-person singular	ert	vart
3rd-person singular	er, es	var
1st-person plural	erum	várum
2nd-person plural	eruð	váruð
3rd-person plural	eru	váru

feminine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ǫld	ǫldin	aldir	aldirnar
accusative	ǫld	ǫldina	aldir	aldirnar
dative	ǫldu, ǫld	ǫldunni, ǫldinni	ǫldum	ǫldunum
genitive	aldar	aldarinnar	alda	aldanna

infinitive	byggja
present participle	byggjandi
past participle	bygðr
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	byggi	bygða
2nd-person singular	byggir	bygðir
3rd-person singular	byggir	bygði
1st-person plural	byggjum	bygðum
2nd-person plural	byggið	bygðuð
3rd-person plural	byggja	bygðu

vara sandr né sær / né svalar unnir,

was no sand or sea, / nor gelid waves,

• vara with suffixed neg. vara was not vera
• sandr noun sg nom sandr sand
• né … né … nor … nor …
• sær sea, ocean
• svalr adj. cool cold
• unnir =unnar noun pl nom unnr f. wave

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	sandr	sandrinn	sandar	sandarnir
accusative	sand	sandinn	sanda	sandana
dative	sandi	sandinum	sǫndum	sǫndunum
genitive	sands	sandsins	sanda	sandanna

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	sær	særinn	sævir	sævirnir
accusative	sæ	sæinn	sævi	sævina
dative	sævi, sæ	sævinum, sænum	sævum	sævunum
genitive	sævar	sævarins	sæva	sævanna

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	svalr	svǫl	svalt
accusative	svalan	svala	svalt
dative	svǫlum	svalri	svǫlu
genitive	svals	svalrar	svals
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	svalir	svalar	svǫl
accusative	svala	svalar	svǫl
dative	svǫlum	svǫlum	svǫlum
genitive	svalra	svalra	svalra

feminine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	unnr	unnrin	unnar	unnarnar
accusative	unni	unnina	unnar	unnarnar
dative	unni	unninni	unnum	unnunum
genitive	unnar	unnarinnar	unna	unnanna

jörð fannsk æva / né upphiminn,

earth existed not, / nor upper heaven,

• jörð f. earth, ground
• fansk mediopassive past 3sg. finna find
• æva adv. never
• upp adv. up, upward
• himinn m. heaven sky

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	jörð	jörðin	jarðir	jarðirnar
accusative	jörð	jörðina	jarðir	jarðirnar
dative	jörð	jörðinni	jörðum	jörðunum
genitive	jarðar	jarðarinnar	jarða	jarðanna

infinitive	finnask
present participle	finnandisk
past participle	fundizk
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	finnumk	fundumk
2nd-person singular	finnsk	fannzk
3rd-person singular	finnsk	fannsk
1st-person plural	finnumsk	fundumsk
2nd-person plural	finnizk	funduzk
3rd-person plural	finnask	fundusk

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	himinn	himinninn	himnar	himnarnir
accusative	himin	himininn	himna	himnana
dative	himni	himninum	himnum	himnunum
genitive	himins	himinsins	himna	himnanna

gap var ginnunga, / en gras hvergi.

gap was yawning, / but grass nowhere.

• en conj en but; in a contrastive sense
• gras noun sg nom gras n. grass, herbage, herb
• hvergi adv nowhere

neuter	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	gras	grasit	grǫs	grǫsin
accusative	gras	grasit	grǫs	grǫsin
dative	grasi	grasinu	grǫsum	grǫsunum
genitive	grass	grassins	grasa	grasanna