Breakdown of Við notum reiðufé þangað til við tölvuvæðum bankakerfið.
við
we
nota
to use
þangað til
until
tölvuvæða
to computerize
bankakerfið
the banking system
reiðuféð
the cash
Questions & Answers about Við notum reiðufé þangað til við tölvuvæðum bankakerfið.
How is the verb tölvuvæðum built in this sentence?
It is formed by taking the stem of the noun tölva (computer) and adding the productive suffix -væða, which functions just like the English suffixes '-ize' or '-ify'. This creates tölvuvæða (to computerize). In this sentence, it is conjugated in the first-person plural present tense to match við. As a typical weak verb from this group, its past tense would take a -di ending (tölvuvæddi).
What case does the derived verb tölvuvæða assign to its object, bankakerfið?
It assigns the accusative case. Most transitive verbs created with the -væða suffix govern the accusative because they describe a direct transformation being applied to an object. Since bankakerfi is a neuter noun, its accusative form is identical to its nominative form, and the definite article -ið is simply added to the end to mean 'the banking system'.
Why is the present tense used for tölvuvæðum if the computerization will happen in the future?
Icelandic lacks a dedicated single-word future tense. Instead, it relies heavily on the present tense to express future actions, especially in time-related clauses introduced by conjunctions like þangað til (until). The context of waiting 'until' an event happens makes the future timeline perfectly clear without needing auxiliary verbs.
What is the literal breakdown of the word reiðufé (cash), and why hasn't it changed form?
It is a compound made from an old frozen form of the adjective reiður (meaning 'ready') and the neuter noun fé (money, wealth, or historically, sheep). It literally translates to 'ready money'. It is the direct object of notum (we use), so it is in the accusative case. However, because fé is a neuter noun, its accusative form is exactly the same as its nominative form.
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