tefla

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse tefla.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʰɛpla/

  Rhymes: -ɛpla

Verb

tefla (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative tefldi, supine teflt)

1. to play a board game
   1. specifically, to play chess

Conjugation

tefla – active voice (germynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að tefla
supine sagnbót		teflt
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		teflandi
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	tefli	tefldi		tefli	tefldi
	þú	teflir	tefldir		teflir	tefldir
	hann, hún, það	teflir	tefldi		tefli	tefldi
plural	við	teflum	tefldum		teflum	tefldum
	þið	teflið	teflduð		teflið	teflduð
	þeir, þær, þau	tefla	tefldu		tefli	tefldu
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	tefl (þú), tefldu
plural	þið	teflið (þið), tefliði1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

teflast – mediopassive voice (miðmynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að teflast
supine sagnbót		teflst
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		teflandist (rare; see appendix)
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	teflist	tefldist		teflist	tefldist
	þú	teflist	tefldist		teflist	tefldist
	hann, hún, það	teflist	tefldist		teflist	tefldist
plural	við	teflumst	tefldumst		teflumst	tefldumst
	þið	teflist	tefldust		teflist	tefldust
	þeir, þær, þau	teflast	tefldust		teflist	tefldust
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	teflst (þú), teflstu
plural	þið	teflist (þið), teflisti1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

tefldur — past participle (lýsingarháttur þátíðar)

strong declension (sterk beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	tefldur	tefld	teflt	tefldir	tefldar	tefld
accusative (þolfall)	tefldan	teflda	teflt	teflda	tefldar	tefld
dative (þágufall)	tefldum	tefldri	tefldu	tefldum	tefldum	tefldum
genitive (eignarfall)	teflds	tefldrar	teflds	tefldra	tefldra	tefldra
weak declension (veik beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	tefldi	teflda	teflda	tefldu	tefldu	tefldu
accusative (þolfall)	teflda	tefldu	teflda	tefldu	tefldu	tefldu
dative (þágufall)	teflda	tefldu	teflda	tefldu	tefldu	tefldu
genitive (eignarfall)	teflda	tefldu	teflda	tefldu	tefldu	tefldu

Old Norse

Etymology

From tafl (“board game”). Akin to Old English tæflan, tæflian. Ultimately from Latin tabula (“table, board”).

Verb

tefla (singular past indicative tefldi, plural past indicative tefldu, past participle tefldr)

1. to play at tables, chess or draughts

Conjugation

Conjugation of tefla — active (weak class 1)

infinitive	tefla
present participle	teflandi
past participle	tefldr
	indicative			subjunctive
	present	past		present	past
1st person singular	tefli	teflda		tefla	teflda
2nd person singular	teflir	tefldir		teflir	tefldir
3rd person singular	teflir	tefldi		tefli	tefldi
1st person plural	teflum	tefldum		teflim	tefldim
2nd person plural	teflið	teflduð		teflið	tefldið
3rd person plural	tefla	tefldu		tefli	tefldi
imperative	present
2nd person singular	tefl, tefli
1st person plural	teflum
2nd person plural	teflið

Conjugation of tefla — mediopassive (weak class 1)

infinitive	teflask
present participle	teflandisk
past participle	teflzk
	indicative			subjunctive
	present	past		present	past
1st person singular	teflumk	tefldumk		teflumk	tefldumk
2nd person singular	teflisk	tefldisk		teflisk	tefldisk
3rd person singular	teflisk	tefldisk		teflisk	tefldisk
1st person plural	teflumsk	tefldumsk		teflimsk	tefldimsk
2nd person plural	teflizk	teflduzk		teflizk	tefldizk
3rd person plural	teflask	tefldusk		teflisk	tefldisk
imperative	present
2nd person singular	teflsk, teflisk
1st person plural	teflumsk
2nd person plural	teflizk

Descendants

• Icelandic: tefla
• Faroese: telva
• Swedish: tävla

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “tefla”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive