Breakdown of Leikarinn les handritið hvíslandi.
lesa
to read
leikarinn
the actor
handritið
the script
hvísla
to whisper
Questions & Answers about Leikarinn les handritið hvíslandi.
How is hvíslandi functioning in this sentence?
Hvíslandi is the present participle of the verb hvísla (to whisper), recognizable by the -andi ending. Here, it acts as an adverb of manner. It tells us how the action of reading is being performed.
If there were multiple actors reading, would the ending of hvíslandi change?
No. When a present participle is used as an adverb to describe how an action is done, it is uninflected. This means it never changes form to match gender or number. It stays hvíslandi whether there is one actor or many.
Why does handritið end in -ið?
Handrit (script) is a neuter noun. The -ið is the attached definite article, making it 'the script'. It is in the accusative case here because it is the direct object of the verb lesa (to read). For neuter nouns, the accusative form is identical to the nominative (dictionary) form.
Could I put hvíslandi right after the verb, before the object?
It is much more natural to put it at the very end of the sentence. Placing it between the verb and the object (les hvíslandi handritið) can sound a bit clumsy in Icelandic, just as 'reads whispering the script' does in English.