Breakdown of Nokkur jarðlaganna eru úr gjósku, þar sem svæðið er virkt.
vera
to be
svæðið
the area
nokkur
several
úr
of (material)
virkur
active
þar sem
since
jarðlagið
the geological layer
gjóskan
the tephra
Questions & Answers about Nokkur jarðlaganna eru úr gjósku, þar sem svæðið er virkt.
How does the phrase nokkur jarðlaganna mean 'several of the layers' without using a preposition?
This is the partitive genitive, which is typical of formal or written Icelandic. Instead of using af plus the dative case, you place a quantifier like nokkur directly before the noun in the definite genitive case (jarðlaganna).
Why is the quantifier nokkur in the neuter plural form here?
Even in a partitive genitive structure, the quantifier acts as the core of the subject and must agree in gender with the underlying noun it quantifies. Because jarðlag is a neuter noun, nokkur takes the neuter plural form to match it.
Why is the preposition úr used for 'made of' rather than af?
The preposition úr (which governs the dative case) is the standard way to express what material an object is composed of in Icelandic. Using af would sound like a piece was taken away or separated from the tephra, rather than describing the structural material itself.
Doesn't þar sem usually refer to a physical location, like 'where'?
While it literally translates to 'there where' and can be used for locations, at the B2 level you will very often see þar sem used as a conjunction meaning 'since' or 'because'. In this sentence, it introduces the reason why the layers consist of volcanic rock.
What case is gjósku in, and why does it end in a 'u'?
It is in the dative case because it is governed by the preposition úr. The dictionary form is gjóska, which is a weak feminine noun. These nouns change their ending from -a to -u in the accusative, dative, and genitive singular.
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