Breakdown of Ofmetnaður er hans stærsti galli.
vera
to be
stór
big
hans
his
gallinn
the disadvantage
ofmetnaðurinn
the hubris
Questions & Answers about Ofmetnaður er hans stærsti galli.
How does the prefix of- change the meaning of metnaður in this sentence?
Why does the adjective take the weak form stærsti instead of the strong form stærstur?
The adjective takes the weak form because it is preceded by the possessive pronoun hans (his). Just like the free-standing definite article, possessive pronouns trigger the weak declension for the adjectives that follow them. Because galli is masculine, nominative, and singular, we use the weak masculine superlative stærsti.
Could we change the word order to stærsti galli hans?
Yes, and in everyday spoken Icelandic, placing the possessive pronoun after the noun phrase (stærsti galli hans) is actually the more common word order. Putting hans before the adjective and noun emphasizes that it is his flaw in particular, and it gives the sentence a slightly more formal or literary tone, which fits well with a heavy concept like ofmetnaður.
Does the word galli only refer to character flaws?
No, galli is a very versatile word for "flaw," "defect," or "fault." While it refers to a personality flaw here, it is equally common to use it for physical defects in manufactured goods (like a broken zipper on a jacket) or for bugs in computer software.
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