Breakdown of Mikið vinnuálag krefst mikils sjálfsaga.
mikill
great, much (adjective)
krefjast
to demand
vinnuálagið
the workload
sjálfsaginn
the self-discipline
Questions & Answers about Mikið vinnuálag krefst mikils sjálfsaga.
Why is 'mikils sjálfsaga' in the genitive case here?
The verb krefjast (to demand or require) governs the genitive case. Because of this, both the adjective mikill and the noun sjálfsagi must take their genitive forms, becoming mikils sjálfsaga.
Is krefst the same as the verb krefja?
Krefst is the middle voice (the -st form) of the active verb krefja. While krefja usually means to demand something directly from a person, the middle voice krefjast is used for more general requirements, like a situation or workload demanding discipline. Remember that krefjast always takes a genitive object.
How does the noun sjálfsagi decline?
Sjálfsagi (self-discipline) is a weak masculine noun made by combining sjálfur (self) and agi (discipline). Like most weak masculine nouns that end in -i in the nominative, it changes its ending to -a in the accusative, dative, and genitive cases. Thus, its genitive form here is sjálfsaga.
Why does the adjective mikill appear as both mikið and mikils in the same sentence?
An adjective must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it describes. The subject vinnuálag (workload) is a neuter noun in the nominative case, so it takes the neuter nominative form mikið. The object sjálfsagi is a masculine noun in the genitive case, so it takes the masculine genitive form mikils.
Why use the compound noun sjálfsaga instead of a possessive phrase with eigin, such as 'síns eigin aga'?
Sjálfsagi refers to the general human trait of 'self-discipline'. If you instead used a possessive pronoun with eigin (e.g., 'krefst síns eigin aga' - demands its own discipline), you would be stating that the workload possesses a specific type of discipline itself. You use eigin to emphasize actual ownership, whereas the prefix sjálf- is used for concepts directed at oneself.
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