Breakdown of Barnið erfir alltaf genið ef faðirinn er rauðhærður.
vera
to be
barnið
the child
alltaf
always
ef
if
faðirinn
the father (formal register)
erfa
to inherit
genið
the gene
rauðhærður
red-haired
Questions & Answers about Barnið erfir alltaf genið ef faðirinn er rauðhærður.
How is the compound adjective rauðhærður formed?
It combines the adjective rauður (red) and the noun hár (hair). In these compound descriptive adjectives, the noun stem often goes through a vowel shift (i-mutation). Here, the á in hár shifts to æ, creating the stem -hær-, before adding the masculine adjective ending -ur.
How would rauðhærður change if the sentence were about the mother or the child?
It must agree in gender with the noun it describes. Since faðirinn (the father) is masculine, the adjective takes the masculine nominative ending to become rauðhærður. If it described móðirin (the mother), it would be the feminine rauðhærð, and for barnið (the child), it would be the neuter rauðhært.
Why does alltaf come after the verb erfir instead of before it?
This is due to the V2 rule. In Icelandic main clauses, the conjugated verb (erfir) must be the second element. Since the subject Barnið is the first element, the verb comes second, and the adverb alltaf (always) must follow it, unlike in English where the adverb often precedes the verb.
What case is genið in, and why?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb erfa (to inherit). Because gen (gene) is a neuter noun, its accusative form is identical to its nominative form, and it simply takes the neuter definite article -ið.
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