Breakdown of Nefndin kallar embættið brandara.
kalla
to call
brandarinn
the joke
nefndin
the committee
embættið
the position (official post)
Questions & Answers about Nefndin kallar embættið brandara.
Why is brandara in the accusative case here? Doesn't equating two things usually require the nominative?
While saying the position is a joke would use the nominative for both (embættið er brandari), the verb kalla (to call) takes a double accusative. This means both the thing being named (embættið) and the label it is given (brandara) must be in the accusative case.
I thought brandara was the plural form of the word for a joke. Why is it translated as singular?
The word brandari is a weak masculine noun. Weak masculine nouns ending in -i change their ending to -a in the accusative, dative, and genitive singular. While the accusative plural is also brandara, context tells us it is singular here.
Why doesn't brandara have the definite article attached to it, like embættið does?
In constructions where you name or classify something, the object being labeled (embættið, the position) is usually specific and definite, while the category it is put into (brandara, a joke) is general and indefinite. This perfectly matches the English translation.
I have seen kalla used to mean to shout. Does it still take a double accusative in that context?