Breakdown of Gamla kirkjan verður örugglega friðuð.
gamall
old
verða
to become; will be
örugglega
definitely
kirkjan
the church
friða
to protect
Questions & Answers about Gamla kirkjan verður örugglega friðuð.
Why do we use verður here instead of er for the passive voice?
Using verður (from verða) creates a dynamic passive. It focuses on a change of state that is going to happen in the future, meaning the church will become protected. If we used er (from vera), it would be a static passive, meaning the church is already protected.
Why is the past participle spelled friðuð instead of its base form?
In Icelandic passive sentences, the past participle has to agree with the subject in gender, number, and case, just like an adjective. Because kirkjan (the church) is a feminine singular noun in the nominative case, the participle takes the feminine singular nominative ending, becoming friðuð.
Why does the sentence use Gamla instead of the standard feminine word for old, gömul?
Because the noun has the attached definite article (kirkjan means the church), the adjective before it must use its weak declension. The weak feminine singular form of gamall is gamla. You would only use gömul if the noun was indefinite, like in gömul kirkja (an old church).
Does friðuð just mean protected from physical damage?
Not exactly. The verb friða is related to friður (peace). While it generally means to protect, when it is applied to buildings, nature, or animal species, it specifically means to declare as a heritage site or to legally conserve. The old church is becoming an officially preserved landmark.
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