Breakdown of Fræ þessa trés er ætt, en það jurtarinnar er eitrað.
vera
to be
en
but
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
tréð
the tree
þessi
this (m/f)
jurtin
the herb
fræið
the seed
ætur
edible
eitraður
poisonous
Questions & Answers about Fræ þessa trés er ætt, en það jurtarinnar er eitrað.
How does the phrase það jurtarinnar work to mean 'that of the herb'?
To avoid repeating the noun fræ (seed), we use a form of the demonstrative pronoun sá—in this case, the neuter singular það to match the gender and number of fræ. By placing it directly before the genitive noun jurtarinnar (of the herb), it creates the structure 'that of the herb,' which functions exactly as it does in English.
Why do the adjectives ætt and eitrað take these specific forms?
Both are describing the neuter noun fræ (seed), so they must be in the neuter nominative singular. The dictionary form ætur (edible) combines its root ending -t with the neuter -t ending to become ætt, while eitraður (poisonous) drops its masculine ending to become eitrað.
Why does jurtarinnar have a definite article at the end, but trés does not?
In the first clause, trés is modified by the demonstrative pronoun þessa (of this tree). In Icelandic, nouns modified by þessi usually drop the definite article. In the second clause, we are referring specifically to 'the' herb, so the feminine noun jurt takes the definite genitive suffix -arinnar.
Does jurt mean any plant, or is it a specific type?
While sometimes used generally, jurt typically refers to non-woody plants, herbs, or smaller flora. This contrasts perfectly with the large woody tré (tree) in the first half of the sentence. The broader, everyday word for any plant is planta.
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