Breakdown of Í stuttu máli vantar okkur stofnféð í dag.
okkur
us
í dag
today
vanta
to need (to lack)
í stuttu máli
in short
stofnféð
the seed capital
Questions & Answers about Í stuttu máli vantar okkur stofnféð í dag.
How does the phrase í stuttu máli affect the word order here?
Because the sentence starts with the prepositional phrase í stuttu máli, the verb-second (V2) rule kicks in. The verb vantar must be the second element, which pushes the logical subject okkur to the third position, right after the verb.
Why do we use these specific endings in stuttu máli?
The phrase uses the preposition í, which governs the dative case here. The neuter noun mál (speech or matter) takes the dative ending to become máli, and the adjective stuttur (short) takes the dative neuter ending to become stuttu. The literal meaning is 'in short speech'.
Why is the pronoun okkur used instead of við for 'we need'?
The verb vanta (to need or lack) is an impersonal verb. It requires the person who needs something to be in the accusative case (okkur), rather than the nominative (við). The thing that is needed, stofnféð, is also in the accusative case.
What makes up the word stofnféð?
It is a compound noun made from stofn (foundation or base) and fé (money or capital). The -ð at the end is the attached neuter definite article, giving us 'the seed capital'.
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