Breakdown of Þeir elska þannig óvenjuleg uppátæki.
þeir
they (m)
elska
to love
þannig
like that, thus
óvenjulegur
unusual
uppátækið
the stunt
Questions & Answers about Þeir elska þannig óvenjuleg uppátæki.
Why doesn't þannig change its ending to match the plural noun uppátæki?
Þannig is an invariable determiner. This is great news because it means it never changes its form! It stays exactly the same regardless of the noun's gender, number, or case.
Wait, don't determiners usually force the following adjective to be weak? Why is óvenjuleg in the strong form?
That is true for most determiners (like þessi), but invariable words like þannig and svona are exceptions. They act a bit like adverbs here and do not trigger the weak declension. Because of this, the adjective óvenjuleg takes the standard strong ending for a neuter plural accusative word.
How can you tell if the noun uppátæki is singular or plural here?
By looking at the adjective! Uppátæki is a neuter noun, and its nominative and accusative forms are identical in both singular and plural. However, the adjective gives it away: óvenjuleg is the neuter plural form. If it were a singular stunt, the adjective would be óvenjulegt.
Why is the phrase þannig óvenjuleg uppátæki in the accusative case?
It is the direct object of the verb elska (to love), which always requires the accusative case. Because uppátæki is a neuter noun, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its dictionary form.
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