Questions & Answers about Fjandskapurinn milli þeirra er skýr.
How does the -skapur suffix work to create the word Fjandskapurinn?
It attaches to the noun fjandi (enemy) to create an abstract noun describing a state or relationship, much like '-ship' in English (friendship, hardship). So, fjandskapur means 'enmity' or 'hostility'. The -inn at the end is the attached definite article 'the'.
Because -skapur nouns are masculine, how does that affect the adjective skýr here?
Adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe. Since all nouns ending in the -skapur suffix are masculine, the adjective skýr (clear) must be in its masculine nominative singular form to match the subject of the sentence.
Why do we use the genitive pronoun þeirra instead of an accusative or dative form?
The preposition milli (between) is one of the Icelandic prepositions that always forces the following noun or pronoun into the genitive case. þeirra is the genitive plural of the pronoun for 'they'.
Does the root word of Fjandskapurinn have other meanings in everyday Icelandic?
Yes. The root word fjandi historically means 'enemy' (and is a cognate with the English word 'fiend'). However, in modern everyday Icelandic, fjandi is most commonly used as a swear word meaning 'devil' or 'damn'. In formal compound words like this one, it keeps its older literal meaning of 'enemy'.