Breakdown of Mig langar að sjá landið þaðan sem farfuglinn kemur.
koma
to come
mig
me (acc)
langa
to want
að
to (infinitive marker)
sjá
to see
landið
the land, the country
farfuglinn
the migratory bird
þaðan sem
from where (relative)
Questions & Answers about Mig langar að sjá landið þaðan sem farfuglinn kemur.
Why does this sentence use þaðan sem instead of hvaðan for 'from where'?
In Icelandic, hvaðan is used for direct or indirect questions. But when you are connecting a descriptive relative clause to a noun (like describing the country), you must use the directional structure þaðan sem, which literally translates to 'from there that'.
Could I just use þar sem instead of þaðan sem in this sentence?
No, because the verb koma (to come) implies motion away from the country. þar sem means 'where' for a stationary location, while þaðan sem specifically means 'from where'. If the bird were just staying there without moving away, you would use þar sem.
Why is the sentence starting with mig instead of ég?
The verb langa (to want) is an impersonal verb that forces the person wanting into the accusative case. Instead of using the nominative ég, Icelandic phrases it more like 'it desires me', making you the object (mig).
What are the parts of the word farfuglinn?
It combines far (relating to travel or moving) and fugl (bird), plus the masculine definite article -inn (the). It literally means 'the travel-bird', which is the Icelandic term for a migratory bird.
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