Breakdown of Þeir byggðu skúrinn utan byggingarreitsins.
þeir
they (m)
byggja
to build
skúrinn
the shed
utan
outside of (+ genitive)
byggingarreiturinn
the building plot
Questions & Answers about Þeir byggðu skúrinn utan byggingarreitsins.
Why does the noun byggingarreitsins end in -sins in this sentence?
The preposition utan (outside) is a spatial preposition that requires its object to be in the genitive case. The base word is the masculine noun byggingarreitur (building plot). In the genitive, it becomes byggingarreits. Because they are talking about the specific plot, the definite article suffix for masculine genitive nouns (-ins) is added to the end, creating byggingarreitsins.
How is the compound word byggingarreitur constructed?
It combines bygging (building) and reitur (plot or square). In Icelandic compound words, the first noun is often put into the genitive case to link them. The genitive of bygging is byggingar, which is then attached to reitur to form byggingarreitur.
Could we use fyrir utan instead of just utan here?
Yes, fyrir utan is very common in everyday speech to express being outside of something. However, fyrir utan governs the accusative case, so the sentence would change to Þeir byggðu skúrinn fyrir utan byggingarreitinn. Using just utan with the genitive sounds slightly more formal or technical, which perfectly fits the context of construction and property lines.
Why is skúrinn in the accusative case?
It is the direct object of the action verb byggðu (built). The masculine noun skúr (shed) takes the definite suffix -inn in the accusative case, making it skúrinn.
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