Breakdown of Farfuglinn flýgur þangað sem hann verpir.
hann
he
fljúga
to fly
farfuglinn
the migratory bird
þangað sem
to where
Questions & Answers about Farfuglinn flýgur þangað sem hann verpir.
Why use þangað sem instead of þar sem for "where"?
Þar sem means "where" when referring to a stationary location. In this sentence, the bird is flying towards a destination. Whenever there is motion to a place, you need the directional word þangað (to there) combined with sem, creating þangað sem (to where).
Why is the pronoun hann used to mean "it"?
In Icelandic, pronouns must match the grammatical gender of the noun they refer back to. Because fugl (bird) is a masculine noun, it is referred to as hann (he), even though in English we translate it as "it".
Does the verb verpir mean "lays" in general, like laying a book on a table?
No, verpa is a very specific verb that means "to lay eggs". It is used almost exclusively for birds, insects, and other egg-laying animals. To say "lay a book down," you would use a different verb, such as leggja.
How is the word farfuglinn built?
It is a compound of far (journey, travel, passage) and fugl (bird), meaning "migratory bird". The -inn at the end is the attached masculine definite article, making it "the migratory bird".