Breakdown of Bókin fjallar um gamla konu.
bókin
the book
gamall
old
konan
the woman
fjalla um
to deal with, to discuss (of a text or talk)
Questions & Answers about Bókin fjallar um gamla konu.
Why do we use fjallar um instead of just translating 'is about' directly?
While you could technically say er um (is about), Icelanders much prefer the verb phrase að fjalla um when talking about the plot or subject of a book, movie, or article. It translates literally to 'deals with' or 'discusses.'
Why do the words gömul kona change to gamla konu in this sentence?
The preposition um requires the noun phrase that follows it to be in the accusative case. The nominative kona becomes konu, and its describing adjective gömul must match, changing to the accusative feminine form gamla.
The translation says 'an old woman', which is indefinite. Why does the adjective gamla look like it's in the weak, definite form?
It is actually the strong (indefinite) form! For feminine words, the strong accusative form of gamall just happens to be gamla. It looks exactly like the weak form used for 'the old woman', but here it is simply following the strong declension pattern: gömul in the nominative becomes gamla in the accusative.
Is the verb fjalla related to the word fjall (mountain)?
Yes, historically! The verb að fjalla originally meant 'to travel over mountains.' Over time, the meaning shifted metaphorically to 'covering ground' on a topic, which is why today it simply means 'to discuss' or 'to deal with.'
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