Breakdown of Sporðdrekinn er situr þarna er svolítið deilugjarn.
vera
to be
sitja
to sit
þarna
over there (pointing)
svolítið
a little
er
which / who (formal)
sporðdrekinn
the Scorpio
deilugjarn
argumentative
Questions & Answers about Sporðdrekinn er situr þarna er svolítið deilugjarn.
How does the suffix -gjarn work in the word deilugjarn?
The suffix -gjarn attaches to nouns or verbs to describe someone who has a strong tendency, habit, or eagerness to do something. Here, it combines with deila (an argument or dispute) to mean argumentative or prone to arguing. It behaves like a standard adjective and declines to match the masculine subject Sporðdrekinn.
Why does the word er appear twice in this sentence?
They are actually two completely different words! The first er is a relative pronoun meaning who or that, acting as a slightly more formal alternative to the much more common sem. The second er is simply the verb is (from vera). So the structure translates to: The Scorpio [who] sits there [is] a bit argumentative.
Why do we use the neuter form svolítið when talking about a masculine noun like Sporðdrekinn?
In this sentence, svolítið is not acting as an adjective modifying the Scorpio. Instead, it is acting as an adverb modifying the adjective deilugjarn, giving it the meaning of a bit or somewhat. Because it functions as an adverb here, it stays in its fixed neuter form and does not decline.
Does Sporðdrekinn literally mean the zodiac sign Scorpio, or does it mean the animal?
It means both! Sporðdreki literally translates to tail-dragon and is the everyday Icelandic word for a scorpion. By extension, it is also used for the astrological sign Scorpio. The -nn at the end is the attached definite article, making it the Scorpio.
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