Questions & Answers about Stelpan er veik en hún kemur samt.
Why is it stelpan and not stelpa?
Because Icelandic marks definiteness with a suffix on the noun. Stelpa = “a girl” (indefinite). Stelpan = “the girl” (definite). For many feminine nouns ending in -a, you add -n and the final -a + -n becomes -an: stelpa → stelpan.
What case is stelpan in, and what about veik?
Stelpan is nominative singular because it’s the subject. The predicate adjective veik also appears in the nominative (predicative adjectives agree with the subject in case, gender, and number after “to be”).
Why is the adjective veik (feminine) and not veikur/veikt/veika?
Agreement:
- Masculine nominative singular: veikur
- Feminine nominative singular: veik
- Neuter nominative singular: veikt
In predicative position (after “to be”), Icelandic uses the strong forms, so with a feminine subject you get veik. The weak form veika shows up mainly in attributive definite contexts (e.g., hin veika stelpa “the sick girl”), not after “to be.”
Why have both en and samt—doesn’t en already mean “but”?
En is a coordinating conjunction meaning “but.” Samt is an adverb meaning “nevertheless/anyway.” Using both is normal: en links the clauses, and adds concessive emphasis. You could also say: