# Icelandic: við sund, Reykjavík í dulúð kulda og nætur



## Silver_Biscuit

Hi,



> "Sjáðu bara hérna á þessu litla svæði," og nú bendir hann ú Grettisgötuna, "hér búa fimm innbrotsþjófar, allt fagmenn, þrjár hórur, sex dílerar og þrír fulltæm hommar."
> Ég kinka kolli. "Já, þú segir nokkuð."
> Viðar segir þetta ekki í hneykslunartón. Hann er bara að miðla upplýsingum. Þetta er hans sögustaður *við sund, Reykjavík í dulúð kulda og nætur*.



I'm finding this sentence structure a bit confusing. I understand the beginning, "This is his saga-stead". But then is it right to say that this _sögustaður_ is _við_ (by? with?) three different things (sund, Reykjavík í dulúð kulda og nætur)? Hmm.

Thanks


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## sindridah

I believe Sund in his case is a proper noun but however it isn't capitalized which is strange. This is his historical site in Sund, Reykjavik in its cold mystery and nights? Or something like that? Idk


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## Silver_Biscuit

I thought _sund_ was just _alleyways_? I know Grettisgata isn't exactly an alleyway, but that's how I understood it. There's not a place round there called Sund, is there? The characters are standing on Barónsstígur, I think. I guess it's pretty near Sundhöllin...


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## NoMoreMrIceGuy

It's not three different things being recited. Would the sentence make more sense if there was a semicolon there instead of a comma?

_Þetta er hans sögustaður við sund; Reykjavík í dulúð kulda og nætur._


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## Silver_Biscuit

Yeah, I think that helps, but _nætur_ is still confusing me because they don't seem to be grammatically linked to anything else, just sort of there. It doesn't mean Reykjavík at night, does it? So I think in English the nights might have to come first, because without cases it's impossible otherwise to keep the two grammatically separate. Does this seem about right?

_This is his saga-stead among _[?]_ the alleyways; the night-time and Reykjavík in its mysterious chill._


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## NoMoreMrIceGuy

Nætur is in the singular._
Reykjavík í dulúð nætur._
Reykjavík (wrapped) in the mystery/mystique of night.


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## sindridah

Yeah but I feel that Reykjavik kind of looses it value in the sentence that way, It's more connected to the original sentence if Reykjavik is the subject in the sentence. I have a suggestion that could maybe work, I don't know This is his saga-stead by the alley(I suppose), Reykjavik in its cover of night and chill. I can only manage in basic English communication! I'm such a bad translator when it get's to following you know the context or something like that. 

But anyway can I smell some of Hallgrímur Helgason's text processing here? sex *dílerar* og þrír *fulltæm* hommar. Pfff someone deserved to be punished!


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## Silver_Biscuit

Ah man! Can't believe I didn't realise that. I'm so used to _nætur_ being the nom./acc. plural it didn't even cross my mind that it was the singular genitive. Thanks!

Sindri: It's a short story by Einar Már Guðmundsson.


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## sindridah

Ohhh, well nice try Sindri


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