Breakdown of Þegar þau bjuggu í útlöndum söknuðu þau föðurlands síns.
þau
they (n)
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
útlönd
foreign countries (pl)
búa
to live (in a place), to dwell
sinn
his/her/their own (sinn, sína, sitt)
þegar
when
sakna
to miss (feel longing for)
föðurlandið
the fatherland
Questions & Answers about Þegar þau bjuggu í útlöndum söknuðu þau föðurlands síns.
Why do we use síns here instead of þeirra for "their"?
Because the "they" who missed the fatherland are the same "they" who own the fatherland. When the owner is the subject of the sentence (or clause), Icelandic uses the reflexive possessive pronoun sinn (meaning "one's own") instead of the regular pronoun þeirra. If we used þeirra, it would mean they missed some other group's fatherland.
Why are the words föðurlands and síns in the genitive case?
They are in the genitive case because of the verb sakna (to miss). In Icelandic, sakna is a verb that forces its object into the genitive case. Since föðurland becomes föðurlands, the possessive word attached to it (sinn) must also change to match it, becoming síns.
If þau (they) is plural, why is síns singular?
Why is útlöndum plural?
The word for "abroad" in Icelandic is útlönd, which literally translates to "out-lands." It is basically always used in the plural. Here, it is in the dative case (útlöndum) because it follows the preposition í indicating a fixed location (living in foreign lands).
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