Question 1

Why do we use nein here instead of engin or einhver?

Accepted Answer

Neinn is a negative polarity word, meaning it is used specifically in sentences that already have a negative word, like ekki. Because the sentence says ekki opinbera, we must use nein to mean "any". You can't use einhver (some/any) in a negative sentence. If you wanted to use engin (no/none), you would have to drop the ekki and say: Stjórnin mun opinbera engin leyndarmál.

Question 2

Why is it spelled nein in this sentence rather than another form of neinn?

Accepted Answer

Neinn is a determiner here, so it has to agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies. Leyndarmál is a neuter noun functioning as the direct object (accusative). Because the sentence refers to "any secrets" (plural), we use the neuter, accusative, plural form, which is nein.

Question 3

How can we tell that leyndarmál is plural in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

The noun leyndarmál looks exactly the same in the nominative and accusative cases for both the singular and the plural! The only way to know it means "secrets" (plural) rather than "a secret" (singular) is by looking at the determiner. If it were singular, the neuter accusative singular form of neinn would be used: neitt leyndarmál.

Question 4

Is the verb opinbera related to the adjective opinber (public/official)?

Accepted Answer

Yes, exactly! Opinbera is the verb derived from that adjective. It literally translates to "to make public", which is why it is used here to mean "reveal". It is in the infinitive form because it is governed by the modal verb mun (will).

Stjórnin mun ekki opinbera nein leyndarmál.

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