Breakdown of Skjalavörðurinn sjálfur sýndi mér blaðsíðuna.
ég
I
sýna
to show
sjálfur
self, oneself
skjalavörðurinn
the archivist
blaðsíðan
the page (of a book/paper)
Questions & Answers about Skjalavörðurinn sjálfur sýndi mér blaðsíðuna.
Why is sjálfur used here, and does its form change?
Yes, sjálfur means "himself" here, adding emphasis to the subject. It acts like an adjective and must match the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies. Because skjalavörðurinn (the archivist) is a masculine, singular subject in the nominative case, we use the masculine nominative form sjálfur.
Why do we use mér (dative) and blaðsíðuna (accusative) with the verb sýndi?
The verb sýna (to show) usually takes two objects: the person being shown something, and the thing itself. The person receiving the action (the indirect object) takes the dative case, which gives us mér. The thing being shown (the direct object) takes the accusative case, resulting in blaðsíðuna.
How do you break down the word skjalavörðurinn?
It is a compound word. Skjala comes from skjal (document or record), and vörður means guard or keeper. Together they form skjalavörður (archivist). The -inn at the end is the attached definite article, making it "the archivist".
What is the root form of blaðsíðuna and what gender is it?
The root noun is blaðsíða (page), which is a feminine noun made by combining blað (leaf/sheet) and síða (side). Because it is the direct object of sýna, it is in the accusative case. The ending -na is the feminine singular accusative definite article, making it "the page".
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