Questions & Answers about Matarkassinn er enn í ísskápnum, svo ég þarf að sækja hann.
Why is the word matarkassinn built that way? What does matar- mean?
Matarkassinn is a compound noun:
- matar- = a form of matur meaning food
- kassi = box
So matarkassi literally means food box, and in everyday use it often means something like lunch box or food container.
A thing English speakers often notice is that the first part is matar-, not matur-. In many Icelandic compounds, the first noun appears in a linking form that often comes from the genitive. So matur becomes matar- in compounds.
Examples of the pattern:
- matarkassi = food box
- matarborð = dining table, literally food table
- matarbúð = grocery store, literally food shop
Why does matarkassinn end in -inn?
The ending -inn is the definite article attached to the noun. Icelandic usually puts the on the end of the word instead of using a separate word like English does.
So:
- matarkassi = a lunch box / a food container
- matarkassinn = the lunch box / the food container
In this sentence, matarkassinn is the subject, so it is in the nominative singular definite form.