Breakdown of Vasinn er of mjór, þú mátt ekki mjókka hann meira.
vera
to be
þú
you
hann
he
ekki
not
vasinn
the pocket
mega
to be allowed to
of
too
meira
more
mjór
narrow
mjókka
to narrow
Questions & Answers about Vasinn er of mjór, þú mátt ekki mjókka hann meira.
How does the '-ka' suffix work to create the verb mjókka from the adjective mjór?
The suffix -ka is added to the stem of an adjective to create a verb about changing state. The stem of mjór (narrow) is mjó-. Adding the suffix creates mjókka, meaning "to make narrow" or "to become narrow". Notice the double k, which is a common spelling adjustment when adding this suffix after a vowel.
Is mjókka acting as an inchoative or a causative verb in this sentence?
Here it is causative. An inchoative verb means something simply changes state (e.g., "the vase becomes narrower"), but a causative verb means an external force causes the change. Because you (þú) are the one performing the action upon the vase (hann), mjókka acts as a causative verb here: you are making it narrower.
Why does the sentence use hann for "it" instead of það?
In Icelandic, pronouns must match the grammatical gender of the noun they replace, even for inanimate objects. "The vase" (vasinn) is a masculine noun. Therefore, the accusative pronoun referring back to it has to be the masculine hann, not the neuter það.
Doesn't the verb mega usually mean "may" or "to be allowed to"? Why does mátt ekki mean "must not" here?
While mega (conjugated here as mátt) means "may" or "to have permission" in positive sentences, adding ekki creates a strict prohibition. Þú mátt ekki literally means "You do not have permission to", which translates naturally into English as the strong command "You must not".
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