Breakdown of Konan veltir hlunkinum á gólfið.
konan
the woman
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
gólfið
the floor
hlunkurinn
the heavy object
Questions & Answers about Konan veltir hlunkinum á gólfið.
Why is the object being rolled (hlunkinum) in the dative case?
The verb velta (to roll something) is a verb of manipulation. In Icelandic, when you physically move, throw, or turn an object, that object usually takes the dative case instead of the regular accusative.
I don't recognize the word hlunkinum. What is its dictionary form?
The base form is hlunkur, a masculine noun meaning a heavy, bulky object. Because it is in the dative case here, it drops the -ur and adds an -i to become hlunki, and attaching the dative definite article makes it hlunkinum.
Since the verb requires the dative, why is gólfið in the accusative?
The case of gólfið is determined by the preposition á (onto/on), not by the verb. Because the action shows movement towards a new destination (onto the floor), á requires the accusative case (gólfið). If the object was already on the floor and just rolling around on the spot, it would take the dative á gólfinu.
If the heavy object was rolling by itself, would the verb still be veltir?
No, it would be veltur. In Icelandic, there are two versions of the verb velta. When you roll something else, it is a weak verb that conjugates to veltir. When something rolls on its own, it is a strong verb that conjugates to veltur (for example, Hlunkurinn veltur).