Breakdown of Einræðisherrann getur rúið andófsmanninn ærunni.
geta
to be able to
einræðisherrann
the dictator
andófsmaðurinn
the dissident
rúa
to strip
æran
the honor
Questions & Answers about Einræðisherrann getur rúið andófsmanninn ærunni.
Why is andófsmanninn in the accusative case while ærunni is in the dative?
This highlights the core pattern of verbs of deprivation, like rýja (to strip or rob). In Icelandic, the person who is being deprived of something takes the accusative case (andófsmanninn), and the thing they are losing takes the dative case (ærunni). This 'accusative person + dative thing' pattern is standard for verbs involving taking something away.
Does Icelandic use a preposition for 'of' in 'strip of his honor'?
No. While English uses the preposition 'of', Icelandic handles this entirely through the case system. The dative case on ærunni (the honor) does the grammatical work of showing what is being taken away, so no preposition is needed.
What is the infinitive of the verb rúið, and why is it in this form?
The infinitive is rýja, which literally means 'to shear' (like a sheep) but is often used figuratively to mean 'to strip' or 'to fleece'. It is in the supine form (rúið) because it follows the auxiliary verb geta (can). Remember that geta always requires the main verb to be in the supine.
How is the word einræðisherrann built?
It is a compound word made of einræði (dictatorship, autocracy—from einn meaning 'one' and ráða meaning 'to rule') and herra (master, lord), plus the definite article -nn. So an einræðisherra is literally an 'autocracy-lord'.
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