Breakdown of Ég er mjög smámunasamur varðandi inniköttinn minn.
vera
to be
ég
I
mjög
very
minn
my (m, f, n: minn, mín, mitt)
varðandi
regarding
smámunasamur
fussy (about details)
innikötturinn
the indoor cat
Questions & Answers about Ég er mjög smámunasamur varðandi inniköttinn minn.
Why is the word varðandi used here instead of a regular preposition, and what case does it trigger?
Varðandi is actually the present participle of the verb varða (to concern or pertain to). In modern Icelandic, it frequently functions as a preposition meaning regarding or concerning. Just like the verb it comes from, it requires the following object to be in the accusative case, which is why we see inniköttinn minn here.
What is the literal breakdown of the adjective smámunasamur?
It is a great example of Icelandic word building. It combines smá (small) and munir (items or things), followed by the suffix -samur (which means disposed to or characterized by, much like -some in English). Literally, it describes someone who is fixated on small details.
If a woman were speaking, would the sentence change?
Yes. The adjective smámunasamur is in the masculine nominative singular form, which tells us the speaker (ég) identifies as male. A female speaker would use the feminine nominative singular form and say Ég er mjög smámunasöm varðandi inniköttinn minn.
How do we know that inniköttinn minn is in the accusative case here?
The base word for cat is köttur, which is a masculine noun. When we put it in the accusative case and attach the definite article, it becomes köttinn. The possessive pronoun also has to agree, so it takes the masculine accusative form minn. If it were in the nominative case, it would be innikötturinn minn.
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