Breakdown of Línan byrjar hérna á þessum punkti.
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
byrja
to start
þessi
this (m/f)
hérna
here (colloquial, pointing)
línan
the line
punkturinn
the point (dot)
Questions & Answers about Línan byrjar hérna á þessum punkti.
Why does the sentence use hérna instead of just hér?
Both mean "here", but hérna is slightly softer and much more common in conversational Icelandic. It often implies "right here" or "around here," whereas hér can feel a bit more exact, formal, or abrupt. You will also often hear hérna used as a filler word in spoken Icelandic.
Why is þessum punkti in the dative case?
The preposition á takes the dative case when it describes a stationary location (where something currently is). Because the line is beginning at this specific location—rather than moving toward it—both the noun punktur and the demonstrative pronoun þessi (this) must be in the dative.
Why is it þessum and not þessu or þessari?
Demonstrative pronouns like þessi (this) must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe. The word for "point", punktur, is a masculine noun. In the dative singular case, the masculine form of þessi is þessum (þessu is neuter, and þessari is feminine).
Does punktur only mean a point in space or math, like on a line?
No, it is a very versatile word! Just like in English, punktur can refer to a physical dot, a location in space, a "point" made in an argument, or the punctuation mark at the end of a sentence (a period or full stop).
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