Breakdown of Athöfnin var falleg og stutt.
vera
to be
og
and
fallegur
beautiful
stuttur
short
athöfnin
the ceremony
Questions & Answers about Athöfnin var falleg og stutt.
Why are the adjectives falleg and stutt missing their usual -ur endings?
They are describing athöfnin (the ceremony), which is a feminine noun. Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe, so the default masculine dictionary forms fallegur and stuttur drop the -ur to become the feminine singular nominative forms falleg and stutt.
Is the double 't' in stutt a neuter ending?
Not in this case! While many adjectives add a -t to form the neuter, the double 't' here is simply part of the root word. The masculine dictionary form is stuttur, so when you remove the -ur to make it feminine, you are just left with stutt.
Why are the adjectives in the nominative case if they come after the verb?
The verb vera (to be) is a linking verb, meaning it connects the subject to a description rather than acting on an object. Because of this, both the subject (athöfnin) and the adjectives describing it (falleg og stutt) stay in the nominative case.
Does the word athöfn only refer to formal ceremonies?
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