Question 1

Why is the verb notar before the subject glerblásarinn?

Accepted Answer

The direct object Þessa stóru töng (This big pair of tongs) has been moved to the very front of the sentence to place focus on it. Because Icelandic strictly follows the V2 rule (verb-second) in main clauses, the verb notar must stay in the second position. This forces the subject glerblásarinn to invert and move immediately after the verb.

Question 2

How can we tell that Þessa stóru töng is the object and not the subject?

Accepted Answer

The case endings give it away. The verb notar takes its object in the accusative case. While the feminine noun töng looks the same in both nominative and accusative, the demonstrative pronoun þessa (nominative: þessi) and the weak adjective stóru (nominative: stóra) are specifically accusative feminine singular forms. The actual subject glerblásarinn is in the nominative case.

Question 3

In English, "tongs" is plural. Is töng plural in Icelandic?

Accepted Answer

No, töng is a singular feminine noun, which is why it takes the singular modifiers þessa and stóru. While English treats tools with two parts like "tongs" or "pliers" as plural, Icelandic treats them as singular nouns. If the glassblower were using multiple pairs of tongs, it would be the plural þessar stóru tangir.

Question 4

If we didn't front the object, what would the normal word order be?

Accepted Answer

In a standard subject-first sentence, the verb remains in the second position, and the adverb oft (often) typically follows the verb. The non-topicalized version of this sentence would be: Glerblásarinn notar oft þessa stóru töng.

Þessa stóru töng notar glerblásarinn oft.

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