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Questions & Answers about Vinurinn mætir síðastur.
What does the suffix –inn in vinurinn indicate?
The suffix –inn is the definite article in Icelandic. Instead of a separate word like “the,” Icelandic tacks –inn onto masculine nouns. So vinur means “(a) friend” and vinurinn means “the friend.”
Why is síðastur used here instead of síðast?
There are two related forms:
- síðast is the adverb “last(ly).”
- síðastur is the strong, masculine nominative singular superlative adjective “last one.”
In Vinurinn mætir síðastur the word is a predicate adjective agreeing with “vinurinn,” so you use the strong adjective form síðastur. If you treated it purely as an adverb (“arrives last”) you could say Vinurinn mætir síðast instead.
Why does síðastur end in –ur rather than –i?
Adjectives in Icelandic have a strong and a weak declension.
- The strong form (síðastur) is used when the adjective stands alone or after a verb (predicatively).
- The weak form (síðasti) is used attributively with a definite noun: e.g. síðasti vinurinn (“the last friend”).
Since síðastur follows the verb as a predicate, you choose the strong ending –ur (masculine nominative singular).