Breakdown of Útlegðin var erfið er uppreisnin hófst.
vera
to be
erfiður
difficult
hefjast
to begin
er
when (formal)
útlegðin
the exile
uppreisnin
the rebellion
Questions & Answers about Útlegðin var erfið er uppreisnin hófst.
Why use er for 'when' instead of the more common þegar?
Er is a formal, written-register synonym for þegar (when). You will frequently encounter it in literature, historical accounts, and formal journalism, but you should stick to þegar in everyday spoken Icelandic.
Could er in this sentence be confused with the verb 'is' or the relative pronoun 'that' or 'which'?
It can look confusing at first glance! However, as a verb (is), it would clash with the past tense verb var (was). As a relative pronoun, the sentence would translate to 'The exile was difficult which the rebellion began,' which does not make sense. Context tells us it functions here as the temporal conjunction 'when'.
Why does the sentence use the -st verb hófst instead of the active form hóf?
Hófst is the middle voice of hefja (to begin or lift). When an event starts on its own without a stated subject initiating it, Icelandic uses the middle voice hefjast. The active voice hóf requires an object, as in þeir hófu uppreisnina (they began the rebellion).
Why is the adjective erfið rather than the common form erfitt?
Adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe. Útlegð (exile) is a feminine noun in the nominative case, so it takes the feminine singular form erfið. You are likely used to hearing the neuter form erfitt because it is used in impersonal phrases like það er erfitt (it is difficult).
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