Question 1

Both heppnast and samlagast end in -st. Does this mean they are passive in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

No, these are deponent verbs. This means they use the -st middle-voice ending but carry an active meaning ("succeeds" and "assimilates"). Unlike regular middle-voice verbs, you can't just remove the -st to get a standard active verb. For example, the active verb heppna doesn't exist at all.

Question 2

I remember some -st verbs taking quirky subjects. Why are flutningurinn and fjölskyldan in the nominative case?

Accepted Answer

While it's true that a few common -st verbs take dative subjects (like mér finnst or mér skilst), the majority of deponent verbs, including heppnast and samlagast, take standard nominative subjects. The move (flutningurinn) and the family (fjölskyldan) are simply the nominative subjects performing these actions.

Question 3

Why is samfélaginu in the dative case here?

Accepted Answer

It is the object of the verb samlagast. Many -st verbs that describe joining, meeting, or interacting with something (like kynnast, to get to know, or samlagast, to assimilate) govern the dative case for the noun being interacted with.

Question 4

Is there a trick to remembering the meaning of samlagast?

Accepted Answer

Yes! It is built from the prefix sam- (together) and the verb laga (to fix, adjust, or adapt). Combined with the -st suffix, which often implies doing something to oneself, it literally translates to "adjusting oneself together with." This perfectly captures the meaning of assimilating into a society.

Flutningurinn heppnast vel og fjölskyldan samlagast samfélaginu.

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