Faroese irregular masculine nouns
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We see from úlvur and vinur that many masculine nouns have -ur in nominative but in many masculine nouns this ending is gone.
Let's look at the words snigil (snail) and akur (field).
In snigil the l is part of the stem, but between g and l the i has disappeared when an ending with a vowel is added. In akur the u disappears; -ur is part of the stem and isn't an ending.
| Eintal | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hvørfall | snigil | akur |
| Hvønnfall | snigil | akur |
| Hvørjumfall | snigli | akri |
| Hvørsfall | snigils | akurs |
| Fleirtal | ||
| Hvørfall | sniglar | akrar |
| Hvønnfall | sniglar | akrar |
| Hvørjumfall | sniglum | økrum |
| Hvørsfall | snigla | akra |
Examples of words conjugated like snigil:
biðil = suiter, wooer
diskil = diskette - for computers
eingil = angel
ketil = kettle, boiler (older: mess tin)
krypil = cripple
kyndil = torch
miðil = media (probably has an older meaning, aswell)
ongul = fishinghook, angle (for angling)
seðil = note
smyril = Falco columbarius (the only Faroese bird of prey, although Haliaetus Alba can be seen as a guest)
tunnil = tunnel
vindil = 1) twisted wooltuft 2) cigar
Examples of words conjugated like akur:
fingur = finger
gjóstur = draught (only singular)
hungur = hunger (only singular)
látur = laughter (only singular)
lúður = 1) lure, lur 2) grinding mill
meldur = 1) grinding, the quantum of flour made in one grind 2) whirlpool, vortex, maelstrom 3) whirlwind
metur = meter
róður = rutter (also róðrar in singular genitive)
snúður = twist
stimbur = something that strengthens (only singular)
svágur = brother-in-law (can also be conjugated like vinur)
vetur = winter
Gyllin (measurement of land = 1/16 mørk = 20 skinn), morgun (morning) and maður (man) are conjugated this way:
| Eintal | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hvørfall | gyllin | morgun | maður |
| Hvønnfall | gyllin | morgun | mann |
| Hvørjumfall | gyllin(i) | morgni | manni |
| Hvørsfall | gyllins | morguns | mans |
| Fleirtal | |||
| Hvørfall | gyllin | morgnar | menn |
| Hvønnfall | gyllin | morgnar | menn |
| Hvørjumfall | gyllinum | morgnum | monnum |
| Hvørsfall | gyllina | morgna | manna |
When the stem ends with -s, the -s genitiv is omitted:
ansur = watchfulness, attention (only singular)
básur = stall, box
fossur = waterfall
frensur/fressur = tomcat
hálsur = throat
heysur = skull, cranium. (for fun) head
jassur = Jack in cardgames, fellow, rogue
laksur = salmon
saksur = scissors
In some masculine nouns, where the stem ends with -nn, an ð has replaced the -nn, but only in nominative (however, saying the word with -nn isn't wrong):
brunnur = bruður (well)
drunnur = druður (the piece of a bird's body farther to the rear, but before the tail)
grunnur = gruður (fishing-bank or fund)
lunnur = luður (piece of wood, used to transport boats on land)
munnur = muður (mouth)
Nouns with -ggj or -gv in front of the -ur-ending:
heyggjur/heygur = hill, hillock, mound
skógvur = shoe
sjógvur = sea
| Eintal | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hvørfall | heyggjur/heygur | skógvur | sjógvur |
| Hvønnfall | heyggj/heyg | skógv | sjógv |
| Hvørjumfall | heyggi/heygi | skógvi | sjógvi |
| Hvørsfall | heygs | skós | sjóvar/sævar/sjós |
| Fleirtal | |||
| Hvørfall | heyggjar/heygar | skógvar | sjógvar |
| Hvønnfall | heyggjar/heygar | skógvar | sjógvar |
| Hvørjumfall | heyggjum/heygum | skóm | sjógvum |
| Hvørsfall | heyggja/heyga | skógva | sjógva |
Stíggjur (place, which is usable for walking up a hammer on a mountain) is conjugated like heyggjur, and conjugated like skógvur are hógvur (grassfield after harvest) (hóvs in singular genitiv) and mógvur (peat soil).
veggur = wall
strongur = string
| Eintal | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hvørfall | veggur | strongur |
| Hvønnfall | vegg | strong |
| Hvørjumfall | veggi | streingi |
| Hvørsfall | veggjar | streingjar |
| Fleirtal | ||
| Hvørfall | veggir | streingir |
| Hvønnfall | veggir | streingir |
| Hvørjumfall | veggjum | streingjum |
| Hvørsfall | veggja | streingja |
These words end with -jar in singular genitive, -ir in plural nominative and accusative, -jum in plural dative and -ja in plural genitive.
These words are conjugated like veggur:
drykkur = drink
leggur = leg, lower leg
mergur = marrow (only singular)
seggur = man, giant, hero
sekkur = sack, bag
serkur = shift (piece of clothing)
And these like strongur:
bonkur = bench (in plural genitiv beinkjar or bonkar)
drongur = boy
tvongur = shoe lace (also used for the plaited/braided string used for the national suit)
vongur = wing
The words are in plural nominative and accusative: beinkir, dreingir, tveingir and veingir.
Other irregular masculine nouns:
ryggur = back
hylur = pond
veðrur = ram (male sheep)
| Eintal | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hvørfall | ryggur | hylur | veðrur |
| Hvønnfall | rygg | hyl | veðr |
| Hvørjumfall | ryggi | hyli | veðri |
| Hvørsfall | ryggjar/rygs | hyljar/hyls | veðrar |
| Fleirtal | |||
| Hvørfall | ryggir | hyljar | veðrar/veðrir |
| Hvønnfall | ryggir | hyljar | veðrar/veðrir |
| Hvørjumfall | ryggjum | hyljum | veðrum |
| Hvørsfall | ryggja | hylja | veðra |
Veðrur also has this old conjugation: veður, veður, veðri, veðurs / veðrar, veðrar, veðrum, veðra.
háttur = way, fashion (gera okkurt uppá henda hátt = doing something this way/in this fashion)
táttur = satirical song
fjørður = firth
| Eintal | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hvørfall | háttur | táttur | fjørður |
| Hvønnfall | hátt | tátt | fjørð |
| Hvørjumfall | hátti | tátti | firði/fjørði |
| Hvørsfall | háttar | tátts | fjarðar |
| Fleirtal | |||
| Hvørfall | hættir/háttir | tættir/táttar | firðir |
| Hvønnfall | hættir/háttir | tættir/táttar | firðir |
| Hvørjumfall | háttum | táttum | fjørðum/firðum/fjarðum |
| Hvørsfall | hátta | tátta | fjarða |
sonur = son
bøur = the cultivated land around a village
| Eintal | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hvørfall | sonur | bøur |
| Hvønnfall | son | bø |
| Hvørjumfall | syni/soni | bøi |
| Hvørsfall | sonar | bíggjar/bøar* |
| Fleirtal | ||
| Hvørfall | synir | bøir |
| Hvønnfall | synir | bøir |
| Hvørjumfall | sonum/synum | bøum |
| Hvørsfall | sona | bíggja/bøa |
- (Preferably) only in compounds: Kirkjubøar kirkja = the church of Kirkjubøur
vøkstur = growth
tráður = thread
| Eintal | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hvørfall | vøkstur | tráður |
| Hvønnfall | vøkst(ur) | tráð |
| Hvørjumfall | vøkst(r)i | tráð(i) 1 |
| Hvørsfall | vakst(r)ar | tráðar |
| Fleirtal | ||
| Hvørfall | vøkst(r)ir | træðrir 2 |
| Hvønnfall | vøkst(r)ir | træðrir |
| Hvørjumfall | vøkst(r)um | tráðum |
| Hvørsfall | vakst(r)a | tráða |
- 1: the forms træðri and træði also exist
- 2: the forms træðir, træður also exist in nominative and accusative and træðrum in dative
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