Verbs of Deprivation
In Icelandic, verbs that express taking something away from someone—like depriving, robbing, or stripping—use a specific double-object structure.
These verbs govern an accusative person (the victim) and a dative thing (the item or concept being taken away). To practice this, we will explore the grim rules of a fictional dystopian society.
The verb svipta (to deprive) is a classic example of this pattern. Notice how the victims take the accusative case, while abstract concepts like human rights or autonomy take the dative case.
| The dictator deprives the people of human rights. | Einræðisherrann sviptir fólkið mannréttindunum. |
| By doing that, he deprives us of autonomy. | Með því að gera það sviptir hann okkur sjálfræðinu. |
Robbing and Stripping
The verbs ræna (to rob) and rúa (to strip) follow the exact same rule: accusative for the person, dative for the loot.
| The oppressor robs the dissident of his human rights. | Kúgarinn rænir andófsmanninn mannréttindunum. |
| The regime intends to strip the man of his honor. | Valdstjórnin ætlar að rúa manninn ærunni. |
Concealing Information
Interestingly, the verb leyna (to conceal) is also treated as a verb of deprivation. By hiding something from someone, you are depriving them of that knowledge. The person kept in the dark is accusative, while the secret itself is dative.
| The oppressor conceals the truth from the traitor. | Kúgarinn leynir svikarann sannleikanum. |
Fighting Back with Modal Verbs
When using modal verbs like geta (can), the verb of deprivation simply takes its infinitive form, and the accusative + dative objects follow right after. Let's see how the rebels might shift the balance of power.
| We can deprive the regime of its power. | Við getum svipt valdstjórnina valdinu. |
| He cannot rob us of freedom of expression. | Hann getur ekki rænt okkur tjáningarfrelsinu. |