Hafa 
to have, keep, hold
 
HAFA has three middle voices 
 
 
 
 
 
  •  Hafast við (einhvers staðar)
    • = to dwell, to be (somewhere), 
    reside, keep. 
     
    Example: "Hann hafðist við í hellinum allan veturinn"
    (He dwelt in the cave the whole winter)
    Example: "Rollurnar hafast við niðri í dalnum"
    (The sheep keep down in the valley)
    Example: "Ég þurfti að hafast við í snjóhúsi 
    þangað til vindinn lægði"
    (I had to remain in the igloo until the wind abated).
    Reflexive
     
     
     
     

    LITERAL ANALYSIS: "To keep oneself" is the literal meaning of "hafast við". We never use the reflexive form: "að hafa sig við", but that´s what we´re saying with the middle voice form. Keep in mind that even though we might logically explain a given middle voice form with its active form, only one of them may be in active use. So, in this case we never say "hafa sig við", but say "hafast við" instead. By refering back to the object the verb "to have" yields a curiously close semantic link to the verb "to be" (in its localization sense of "where are you" and not identification sense "I am mr.X"). Literally, to "keep oneself" is to "remain" (somewhere), or to "stay put". Later on we will meet another common verb "að halda" which will revert back to its own object to give similar results. More about that later. 

    NUANCES: Despite its semantic link with "að vera" it can seldom be substituted by it. "Að vera" is much too general in meaning to give the same shades. "Að hafast við" indicates *lurking* or *hiding* or even some *hidden activity*, and a place in which few people know or venture. The word has a rather nasty ring to it as the stay is more likely to be out of necessity rather than choice. Often it conveys a temporary and an forced-upon stay rather than a natural permanent one, or it may be used for beings that reside habitually somewhere and live in an unfortunate state. Usually when one is describing oneself one would avoid the negative connotations of permanence. A temporary state is therefore clearly indicated, being an unusual situation, a phase one is going through, or perhaps a mere job that has to be done before moving on. An outcast springs to mind, but also a person going through a difficult period or someone who does a nasty job (that somebody has to do anyway) and finds oneself occasionally in a rather uncomfortable place. This last person would be in that place for a particular job, activity (hidden or not). Which points at our next middle-voice extention of "að hafa". 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  • Aðhafast/Hafast að
    • = To do, to be engaged in an activity, to busy oneself with something.
    EXAMPLE: "Eitthvað verður maður að aðhafast í sumarfríinu"
    (One must find something to do in the summer vacation.)
    EXAMPLE: "Hvað ertu eiginlega að aðhafast þarna í myrkrinu!?"
    (What are you doing there in the darkness)
    Reflexive
     
     
     

    LITERAL ANALYSIS: As you can see, the prefix of this verb is loose, and can move or stay. I could just as well have given you the example: "Eitthvað verður maður að hafast að í sumarfríinu". The prefix "að" indicates movement towards something, and thus a focus, intention etc. Literal meaning of this middle voice would thus be "to keep oneself towards something", i.e. focus on an activity. Therefore, its a related one-word curious representative would be "to do", but as you will see further down its meaning is much better translated as "to be engaged in an activity". 
     

    NUANCES: Like before, this middle voice does not duplicate the meaning of "to do", but for different reasons. Its relation to the subject is very peculiar. It is transitive, but only takes a very indeterminate object. It takes the word "eitthvað" or its counterpart "hvað" as its sole object, always. Therefore you can never do particular things with this verb, only be engaged or be busy doing "something". Activity for activity´s sake. A very useful word. It can, thus, be distinguished from "doing" in the same way as you would tell "buying" and "shopping" apart. 

    THE TWO IN SUM: As one might guess, the closeness of this middle-voice to the one above (hafast við) makes the two very sensitive to each other´s shades. Thus, "aðhafast" (to do) can easily (though not necessarily) adopt some of "hafast við" (to be, reside) dark shadings, and likewise "aðhafast" (to do) can contribute some slight activity overtones the other. "Að hafa" can thus be extended with the help of "við" (indicating place) and "að" (indicating activity) to form interesting alternative versions of "to be" and "to do" (+ some particular shades of meaning), showing us how deeply intergrated the meaning of to "be", "have" and "do" are. 

     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     

     
  •  Hafast
    • = take form, realize, 
    to happen, succeed.
     
     
     
    EXAMPLE: "Þetta er að hafast, haltu bara áfram!"
    (You are about to make it! Go on!).
    EXAMPLE: "Þetta hefst eingöngu með hörkunni."
    (One can only do this with perseverance). 
    EXAMPLE: "Það hefst ekkert með því að rífast"
    (There´s no use quarreling).
     
    Reflexive or passive
     
     
    LITERAL ANALYSIS: This verb is more difficult to analyse than the other two. First we have to realize the different shades of meaning for the stem verb for in this middle-voice form they really mix and blend unclearly. The shades are identical to those of the English "to have", so we´ll do it in English. "Að hafa" means to keep, hold or have, and thus indicates ownership of some sort. It can be a physical clutching to an object and an abstract ownership. But it can easily have some more forceful overtones, like "let´s *have* it that way". "Have" in that sense means that the thing is "directed" somehow. That can be in either essence (I want to have him black) or placement (let´s have him there). This meaning comes directly from the passive acceptance of "having". Accepting *is* controlling. It means that you are not protesting or rejecting. In a way you create a situation with your acceptance. "Have" does therefore have strong links with "create". In some situation it may be synonymous with "put" or to "place". Furthermore, ownership can be dynamic. When you "get" something or "seize" it you can also use the word "have". 

    These several aspects of the same meaning form a whole, for you can trace yourself along the links and find yourself at the starting point when you thought you were getting further and further away. Thus, "to have" can mean to "hold/own" going to "accept" which "control" can be expressed physically "put/place" or through "create". Either way you can find yourself at the other end of such an a displacement or creation as a "receiver". So when I say "I´m not gonna have it" it is difficult to establish what exactly is being said. 

    You can look at the "reception" shade. In the example above I said that one can´t get anything (you gain nothing) by arguing. You could just a well think of it as a creation process. Nothing is created out of arguments. So, whether you actually *get* or *create* or *accept*, it is the same. 
     
     NUANCES: Generally, despite all the various shades, you can see the  -st ending as a confirmation of the activity. The activity in question has been fulfilled.  If something "hefst" it says that it is gained (passive) or is created (passive), indicating *success*. Curiously, it could not be used in the middle voice when indicating ownership. It is intimately linked with the creation process on either side to static ownership. 

    See:  

                            
    Only the top meaning of this reverse triangle (gain/get and create/make plus the acceptance that infuses all the shades) is sensitive to middle voice. I can therefore not say "Hluturinn hefst af mér" (The thing is had my me), only "Ég hef hlutinn", but using the other shades of meaning "Ekkert hefst með ótta" (You gain nothing by being afraid), or "Ekkert hefst með látum" (It is futile to do things hastily). Thus, the verb "hafa" fuses creation and reception, and in middle voice it indicates success. 
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
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