{"id":4602,"date":"2014-01-28T02:08:17","date_gmt":"2014-01-28T02:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/islenzka.net\/?p=4602"},"modified":"2014-01-28T02:08:17","modified_gmt":"2014-01-28T02:08:17","slug":"using-your-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/using-your-head\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Your Head"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are several Icelandic words for “head”, i.e. the thing sitting on your shoulders. Which word you use depends on what you are doing with your head at that particular time. Here are a few examples you may encounter \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

a\u00f0 hrista h\u00f6fu\u00f0i\u00f0<\/strong> – to shake your head, especially in a side to side motion, indicating “no”.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
a\u00f0 hrista – to shake<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\npresent<\/th>\npast<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00e9g<\/th>\nhristi<\/td>\nhristi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fe\u00fa<\/th>\nhristir<\/td>\nhristir<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fea\u00f0<\/th>\nhristir<\/td>\nhristi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
vi\u00f0<\/th>\nhristum<\/td>\nhristum<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fei\u00f0<\/th>\nhristi\u00f0<\/td>\nhristu\u00f0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00feau<\/th>\nhrista<\/td>\nhristu<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n  <\/td>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
h\u00f6fu\u00f0 (n) – head<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\nsingular<\/th>\nplural<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
nom<\/th>\nh\u00f6fu\u00f0<\/td>\nh\u00f6fu\u00f0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
acc<\/th>\nh\u00f6fu\u00f0<\/td>\nh\u00f6fu\u00f0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
dat<\/th>\nh\u00f6f\u00f0i<\/td>\nh\u00f6f\u00f0um<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
gen<\/th>\nh\u00f6fu\u00f0s<\/td>\nh\u00f6f\u00f0a<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Hann spur\u00f0i hana hvort h\u00fan vildi fara, en h\u00fan hristi h\u00f6fu\u00f0i\u00f0.<\/strong>
\nHe asked her if she wanted to go, but she shook her head.<\/em><\/p>\n

…<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

a\u00f0 kinka kolli<\/strong> – to nod your head, indicating assent, saying “yes”.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
a\u00f0 kinka – to nod<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\npresent<\/th>\npast<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00e9g<\/th>\nkinka<\/td>\nkinka\u00f0i<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fe\u00fa<\/th>\nkinkar<\/td>\nkinka\u00f0ir<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fea\u00f0<\/th>\nkinkar<\/td>\nkinka\u00f0i<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
vi\u00f0<\/th>\nkinkum<\/td>\nkinku\u00f0um<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fei\u00f0<\/th>\nkinki\u00f0<\/td>\nkinku\u00f0u\u00f0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00feau<\/th>\nkinka<\/td>\nkinku\u00f0u<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n  <\/td>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
kollur (m) – head<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\nsingular<\/th>\nplural<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
nom<\/th>\nkollur<\/td>\nkollar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
acc<\/th>\nkoll<\/td>\nkolla<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
dat<\/th>\nkolli<\/td>\nkollum<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
gen<\/th>\nkolls<\/td>\nkolla<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

The verb kinka<\/strong> takes the dative case:<\/p>\n

“Er allt \u00ed lagi?” Hann svara\u00f0i ekki, en kinka\u00f0i kolli.<\/strong>
\n“Is everything all right?” He didn’t answer, but nodded his head.<\/em><\/p>\n

Other than the general meaning of head<\/em>, kollur<\/strong> can more specifically refer to the top or crown of the head.<\/p>\n

…<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Another word for head is haus<\/strong>. I think it’s used more when talking about animals’ heads, but there are many expressions that use it. Most relevant to this post would be<\/p>\n

a\u00f0 hengja haus<\/strong> – to hang your head (in shame, presumably)<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
a\u00f0 hengja – to hang<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\npresent<\/th>\npast<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00e9g<\/th>\nhengi<\/td>\nhengdi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fe\u00fa<\/th>\nhengir<\/td>\nhengdir<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fea\u00f0<\/th>\nhengir<\/td>\nhengdi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
vi\u00f0<\/th>\nhengjum<\/td>\nhengdum<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fei\u00f0<\/th>\nhengi\u00f0<\/td>\nhengdu\u00f0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00feau<\/th>\nhengja<\/td>\nhengdu<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n  <\/td>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
haus (m) – head<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\nsingular<\/th>\nplural<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
nom<\/th>\nhaus<\/td>\nhausar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
acc<\/th>\nhaus<\/td>\nhausa<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
dat<\/th>\nhaus<\/td>\nhausum<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
gen<\/th>\nhauss<\/td>\nhausa<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Engin \u00e1st\u00e6\u00f0a a\u00f0 hengja haus.<\/strong> – No reason to hang your head.<\/p>\n

…<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Another “head” word is one I just recently came upon, as part of the police blotter. It was reported that someone headbutted a taxi driver. If you should ever need to report something similar to the police, the correct verb would be skalla<\/strong> \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Ma\u00f0urinn skalla\u00f0i leigub\u00edlstj\u00f3rann.<\/strong> – The man headbutted the taxi driver.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
a\u00f0 skalla – to headbutt<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\npresent<\/th>\npast<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00e9g<\/th>\nskalla<\/td>\nskalla\u00f0i<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fe\u00fa<\/th>\nskallar<\/td>\nskalla\u00f0ir<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fea\u00f0<\/th>\nskallar<\/td>\nskalla\u00f0i<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
vi\u00f0<\/th>\nsk\u00f6llum<\/td>\nsk\u00f6llu\u00f0um<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fei\u00f0<\/th>\nskalli\u00f0<\/td>\nsk\u00f6llu\u00f0u\u00f0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00feau<\/th>\nskalla<\/td>\nsk\u00f6llu\u00f0u<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n  <\/td>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
skalli (m) – head (crown)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\nsingular<\/th>\nplural<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
nom<\/th>\nskalli<\/td>\nskallar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
acc<\/th>\nskalla<\/td>\nskalla<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
dat<\/th>\nskalla<\/td>\nsk\u00f6llum<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
gen<\/th>\nskalla<\/td>\nskalla<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

The related noun is skalli<\/strong>, which can refer to the crown of your head, as well as being the word for baldness<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Hope this helps you recognize a few of the more common phrases involving the words for “head” \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are several Icelandic words for “head”, i.e. the thing sitting on your shoulders. Which word you use depends on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4616,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4602"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4602"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4602\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4617,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4602\/revisions\/4617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}