Breakdown of Svikahrappurinn þykist eiga auðæfin.
eiga
to own / to have (a relationship)
þykjast
to pretend
svikahrappurinn
the con artist
auðæfin
the wealth (riches)
Questions & Answers about Svikahrappurinn þykist eiga auðæfin.
Why is there no að before eiga here?
Because þykjast (to pretend / to claim) belongs to a special group of middle-voice verbs used for subjective reporting. Just like segjast, it takes a bare infinitive. You say hann þykist eiga (he pretends to own), never hann þykist að eiga.
What is the active equivalent of þykjast and how does the meaning change?
The active verb is þykja (to seem / to think). Adding the middle-voice -st ending literally changes it to 'to seem to oneself.' In practice, þykjast translates to 'to pretend' or 'to make out that one is,' expressing a subjective and often false claim.
How is the compound word Svikahrappurinn built?
It is made of svik (fraud, betrayal) and hrappur (a swindler, trickster), plus the definite article -inn. So, a svikahrappur is literally a 'fraud-swindler,' which is the standard Icelandic word for a con artist.
Why does auðæfin end in -in? Is it plural?
Yes, auðæfi (wealth, riches) is a neuter noun that is almost exclusively used in the plural in Icelandic. The -n at the end is the neuter plural definite article, making it 'the wealth.' Even though 'wealth' is usually singular in English, you must treat it as plural in Icelandic.