Icelandic

Verb

skulu ‎(first person singular present indicative skal, first person plural past subjunctive skyldi)

1. shall, must
   • Luke 6:29 (English, Icelandic)

     Slái þig einhver á kinnina, skaltu og bjóða hina, og taki einhver yfirhöfn þína, skaltu ekki varna honum að taka kyrtilinn líka.

     If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.

   • Einar Benediktsson

     Aðgát skal höfð í nærveru sálar.

     Exercise caution in the presence of a soul.

   Þú skalt ekki taka bílinn minn!

   You shall not take my car!

   Þú skalt ekki morð fremja.

   Thou shalt not kill.

2. to need
3. (an emphatic verb) to will!

   Þú skalt sjá!

   You will see!

4. to will

   Ég skal svara símanum.

   I'll pick up the phone.

5. (encouragement) let us, shall

   Við skulum fara í bíó.

   Let's go to the movies.

Derived terms

• með lögum skal land byggja

Synonyms

• (shall): eiga
• (need): þurfa

Old Norse

Alternate Forms

• skolu

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *skulaną. From Proto-Indo-European *skel- ‎(“to be obligated, owe, be guilty”). Cognate to Old English sculan ‎(“to be obligated or obliged to, shall, must, owe, ought to”) (English shall).

Verb

skulu ‎(first person singular present indicative skal, first person plural past subjunctive skyldi)

1. shall, must

Descendants

• Icelandic: skulu
• Faroese: skula
• Old Swedish: skula
  • Swedish: skola
• Danish: skulle
• Norwegian: skulle

References

• skulu in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press