nafnháttar
Nafnháttar is an Old Norse grammatical concept referring to the relationship between a verb and its subject and object. It encompasses the study of how verbs govern the case of the nouns that function as their subject and direct object, and how this case marking can influence the meaning or emphasis of the sentence. Understanding nafnháttar is crucial for deciphering the nuances of Old Norse syntax and semantics.
In Old Norse, verbs often dictate the case of their arguments. For example, certain verbs might always
Furthermore, the concept extends to understanding verbal constructions and their associated argument structures. It involves analyzing