Breakdown of Skurðlæknirinn rannsakar ástand lungnanna.
rannsaka
to investigate
ástandið
the condition
lungað
the lung
skurðlæknirinn
the surgeon
Questions & Answers about Skurðlæknirinn rannsakar ástand lungnanna.
Why is lungnanna in the genitive case here?
It is expressing possession or association, meaning "the condition of the lungs". In Icelandic, when one noun directly describes or belongs to another noun in this way, the second noun takes the genitive case.
How is the form lungnanna built from the base word lunga?
Lunga is one of the four special weak neuter body parts (along with auga, eyra, and hjarta). In the genitive plural, these words insert an -n- into the ending, making the indefinite genitive plural lungna. To mean "of the lungs", we attach the genitive plural definite article -nna, resulting in lungnanna.
How is the word skurðlæknirinn constructed?
This compound noun combines skurður (which can mean a cut, trench, or surgical incision) and læknir (doctor). Put together, an "incision doctor" is a surgeon. The -inn at the end is the masculine singular definite article ("the").
Is ástand in the nominative or accusative case in this sentence?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb rannsaka (to investigate). Because ástand is a strong neuter noun, its nominative and accusative forms are identical.