Breakdown of Við dvöldum í klaustrinu vikum saman.
saman
together / on end (after a dative plural time noun)
við
we
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
vikan
the week (f)
dvelja
to stay
klaustrið
the monastery
Questions & Answers about Við dvöldum í klaustrinu vikum saman.
Why is vikum in the dative case if there is no preposition before it?
This is the specific grammar pattern for this lesson: to say "for [time period] on end," you use the time word in the dative plural followed by the postposition saman. Here, vikum is the dative plural of the feminine noun vika (week). It doesn't need a preposition to trigger the dative; the construction itself inherently requires it.
Does saman always mean "on end" like in vikum saman?
Not always! You probably first learned saman as "together" (like in við vinnum saman, we work together). But when placed immediately after a time word in the dative plural, it changes meaning to emphasize an extended, continuous duration, translating to "on end" or "for [X] straight."
Why use dvöldum here instead of a more common verb like vorum (were) or bjuggum (lived)?
The verb dvelja (to stay, to dwell) is used for temporary but somewhat extended stays. Vorum (from vera) just means "we were," which doesn't emphasize the act of staying. Bjuggum (from búa) means "we lived," which implies a permanent residence. Dvöldum hits the perfect middle ground for a long, temporary visit.
What is the base form of klaustrinu, and why does it drop a letter?
The base dictionary form is the neuter noun klaustur (monastery). Because the preposition í indicates a fixed location here, it triggers the dative case. When adding the dative neuter definite article -inu, the second u in klaustur drops out to make it easier to pronounce, giving us klaustrinu instead of klausturinu.
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