Icelandic: Áskell höfðingi tjáði sig rólega með látbrögðum.

[gramster]

I have a question about the following sentence:

"Áskell höfðingi tjáði sig rólega með látbrögðum."

[From, Richards, Olly. Short Stories in Icelandic for Beginners (Teach Yourself) (p. 157). John Murray Press. Kindle Edition.]

The problem is that according to the sources I checked, the word látbragð has no plural form. What's happening here? Did the translator make a mistake? Or is there some (usage, word-creation, etc.) rule(s) that justifies this plural form?

The English version of the sentence reads, "Chief Eskol gestured calmly." [Richards, Olly. Short Stories in English for Beginners (Teach Yourself) (p. 144). John Murray Press. Kindle Edition.]

The sources I checked are:

Icelandic Online: Dictionary Entry for látbragð

Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls

Íslensk nútímamálsorðabók

Takk fyrir!

 

[Segorian]

To say that látbragð has no plural form is an exaggeration. The plural has been used at least since the late 19th century. There is a difference of meaning, however. Látbragð means ‘demeanour’ or ‘manner’, while látbrögð refers to gestures, often theatrical ones.

Examples: “Valur, þjálfari Skallagríms, var greinilega ósáttur við dómarana ef marka má látbrögð hans á hliðarlínunni í leiknum.” “Starfsfólkið skildi ekki stakt orð í ensku en við náðum að panta eftir handapat og látbrögð.”