Questions & Answers about Marineraða kjúklingabringan er mjög góð.
Why is the word for marinated marineraða instead of the dictionary form marineruð?
Because it is placed directly in front of a definite noun (kjúklingabringan), it acts as a definite attributive adjective. Past participles follow the same weak declension rules as normal adjectives in this position. The weak feminine singular nominative ending for this class of participles is -a, giving us marineraða from the base participle marineraður.
If marineraða is in the weak declension because the noun is definite, why is góð in the strong form?
Góð is a predicative adjective, meaning it comes after the verb (er) rather than being attached directly in front of the noun. In Icelandic, predicative adjectives always take the strong declension, regardless of whether the subject they describe is definite or not. Therefore, it stays góð to match the feminine singular subject.
Why is the compound word for chicken breast (kjúklingabringan) formed with the plural kjúklinga instead of the singular?
Compound nouns in Icelandic often use the genitive (possessive) case for the first word to link them. Here, it uses the genitive plural kjúklinga (of chickens) attached to bringan (the breast). When referring to meats, ingredients, or food products, Icelandic frequently uses the plural form for the animal species rather than a single specific animal.
Since marinera is a loanword, does it follow normal Icelandic participle rules?