Question 1

I'm used to seeing þegar for "when". What is the difference between þegar and er here?

Accepted Answer

Er functions exactly like þegar to mean "when" in temporal clauses. However, er belongs to a higher, more formal written register. You will often see it in literature, historical texts, or formal news, but you would rarely use it in everyday spoken Icelandic.

Question 2

Since er is also the present tense of vera (to be), how can I tell it's being used as a conjunction here?

Accepted Answer

Sentence structure gives it away. The main clause already has its verb (var), and the second clause has its own subject and verb (hún ríkti). Because er bridges these two complete thoughts, it must be functioning as a conjunction meaning "when" rather than the verb "is".

Question 3

Why doesn't the verb come immediately after er to satisfy the V2 (verb-second) rule?

Accepted Answer

Because er acts as a subordinating conjunction here, introducing a dependent clause. In Icelandic, subordinate clauses usually follow standard subject-verb word order rather than triggering V2 inversion. That is why we see the subject hún right before the verb ríkti.

Question 4

Why does the adjective voldugt end in -t?

Accepted Answer

It is agreeing with the subject of the sentence, heimsveldið (the empire). Because heimsveldi is a neuter noun, the adjective voldugur (mighty or powerful) must take its neuter nominative singular form, which is voldugt.

Question 5

Is the verb ríkti related to the noun ríki (state/kingdom)?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Ríkti is the past tense of ríkja, which means "to reign" or "to rule." It is directly related to the noun ríki. When talking about a monarch or a leader ruling over a period of time, ríkja is the standard verb to use.

Heimsveldið var voldugt er hún ríkti.

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