Question 1

How is dökkhærður formed from the word for hair (hár)?

Accepted Answer

It combines the adjective dökkur (dark) with the noun hár (hair). The vowel in hár undergoes an i-shift (where á changes to æ) when the suffix -ður is added to turn the noun into a compound adjective of physical description.

Question 2

Why doesn't breiðaxlaður look much like the word for shoulder (öxl)?

Accepted Answer

It combines breiður (broad) with the genitive plural stem of öxl, which is axla. The u-mutation that creates the ö in öxl is reversed in this stem, giving us -axla-, which then takes the -ður suffix.

Question 3

Why does the sentence use the weak adjective nýi instead of the strong form nýr?

Accepted Answer

Because the noun it modifies has the definite article attached (kærastinn). In Icelandic, an adjective preceding a definite noun must use its weak declension.

Question 4

Could I put þinn before the noun phrase, like Er þinn nýi kærasti...?

Accepted Answer

You could, but placing the possessive pronoun after the definite noun (nýi kærastinn þinn) is the standard, most natural word order. Putting þinn first places a strong, contrastive emphasis on 'your' (as opposed to someone else's) and requires you to drop the definite article on the noun.

Er nýi kærastinn þinn breiðaxlaður og dökkhærður?

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