Breakdown of Hinn merki stofnandi birtist í gær.
í gær
yesterday
birtast
to appear
hinn
the (formal definite article)
merkur
remarkable
Questions & Answers about Hinn merki stofnandi birtist í gær.
Why does this sentence use Hinn merki stofnandi instead of Merki stofnandinn?
This is the formal way of saying "the [adjective] [noun]". Instead of adding the definite article to the end of the noun (stofnandinn), you use the free-standing article hinn before the adjective and leave the noun in its bare form (stofnandi). This structure is mostly used in formal writing, literature, or official speeches.
Why is the adjective merki instead of merkur?
Because it follows the definite article hinn. Whenever an adjective is used with a definite article, it must take its weak form. For a masculine, singular, nominative adjective, the weak ending is usually -i, so merkur becomes merki.
What is the base verb for birtist, and why does it end in -st?
The infinitive is birtast (to appear). The -st ending indicates the middle voice. It comes from the active verb birta, which means "to publish" or "to reveal". Adding the -st ending changes the action from "revealing something else" to "revealing oneself" (appearing). Here, birtist is the third-person past tense.
Is stofnandi a regular masculine noun?