Breakdown of Með því að gera það sviptir hann okkur sjálfræðinu.
hann
he
það
it / there (existential) / the one (n)
við
we
gera
to do / to make (something) + adjective
með því að
by doing
svipta
to deprive
sjálfræðið
the autonomy
Questions & Answers about Með því að gera það sviptir hann okkur sjálfræðinu.
Why does sviptir take both okkur and sjálfræðinu as objects?
The verb svipta (to deprive) uses a specific double-object pattern: it takes the Accusative case for the person being deprived, and the Dative case for the thing they are losing. Here, okkur (us) is the Accusative person, and sjálfræðinu (the autonomy) is the Dative thing.
Why is the word order sviptir hann instead of hann sviptir?
This is the V2 (verb-second) rule in action. Because the sentence begins with the long adverbial phrase Með því að gera það (By doing that), the main verb sviptir must take the second slot in the sentence. This forces the subject hann to invert and come immediately after the verb.
Why do we need the pronoun því in the phrase Með því að gera það?
In Icelandic, prepositions like með usually cannot attach directly to an infinitive verb phrase like að gera það. You have to use a dummy pronoun as a bridge. Because með governs the dative case here, we use the dative neuter pronoun því, making the phrase literally mean 'With it to do that.'
What case is sjálfræðinu, and how is the ending formed?
It is in the dative case, as dictated by the verb svipta. The base noun is the neuter word sjálfræði (autonomy). To say 'the autonomy,' we add the dative neuter definite suffix -nu, resulting in sjálfræðinu.
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