lengi lifi
(Redirected from lengi lifa)
Icelandic edit
Etymology edit
From the adverb lengi (meaning "for long") + lifa meaning "to live".
Verb edit
- (with nominative) long live, "to may live long for a long time"
Usage notes edit
- This phrase is followed by a word (or words) in the nominative. When referring to a name (or some objects, like teachers, kings or something else in general), it has an indefinite article (a, an).
- e.g. "Lengi lifi Jósef!"
- Long live Joseph!
- e.g. "Kennarar jarðarinnar lengi lifi!"
- e.g. "Lengi lifi Jósef!"
- but when referring to certain people, definite article (the, that) is used.
- e.g. "Lengi lifi konungurinn!"
- Long live the king!
- e.g. "Lengi lifi drottningin!"
- Long live the queen!
- e.g. "Lengi lifi konungurinn!"
- Whether the subject is behind or after the phrase "lengi lifi" makes little difference; although putting it in front makes the sentence a tad more formal, though not by much.
- This is often followed by a triple repetition of the word húrra! meaning "hurray" (or "húrra, húrra, húrra!").