Hófst

Hófst is a past-tense form used in Icelandic to indicate that an action or event began. In narrative Icelandic, it functions as the preterite of a verb meaning to begin or commence, and it often appears in clauses describing the onset of scenes, actions, or processes.

In usage, hófst is typically found in literary, historical, and journalistic texts where events are recounted in a sequential, past-tense narration. It is a finite verb form, agreeing with the subject in person and number just like other preterite forms in Icelandic. The form is common in older and contemporary Icelandic writing, especially when describing how something started or came into being.

Morphologically, hófst is a single-word past-tense form. It can be used with a wide range of subjects, from narratives about people to descriptions of events, places, or processes, conveying the sense that the action of beginning occurred at a particular moment in time.

Example: Sagan hófst þegar dómari kom inn. (The tale began when the judge entered.) This illustrates hófst signaling the start of an event within a broader narrative.

Etymology and related forms are typically discussed in Icelandic grammar resources, where hófst is treated as the past tense of a verb meaning to begin. While the exact infinitive and related forms can vary across dialects and historical periods, hófst remains a recognizable and standard past-tense marker in modern Icelandic prose.

See also: Icelandic grammar, Icelandic verb forms, preterite (grammar).