Question 1

How does the plural genitive linking vowel '-a' apply to the word nemendafélagið?

Accepted Answer

This word is a compound of nemandi (student) and félag (association). To connect them, we use the genitive (possessive) plural of the first word. The genitive plural of nemandi is nemenda, and its final -a acts as the linking vowel, literally making this the "association of students". The -ið at the end is simply the neuter definite article belonging to félag.

Question 2

Wait, the singular genitive of nemandi is nemanda. Why does the compound use nemenda with an 'e'?

Accepted Answer

nemandi is a weak masculine noun derived from a present participle (literally "one who learns"). While the singular genitive is indeed nemanda (a student's), a student association belongs to multiple students, so we must use the plural genitive. The genitive plural of these -andi nouns changes the stem vowel slightly, resulting in nemenda.

Question 3

Is skipuleggur a regular verb, and how do I find its infinitive?

Accepted Answer

The infinitive is skipuleggja (to organize). It is a compound built around the core verb leggja (to put or lay). Whenever you see a long compound verb like this, you only need to conjugate the final root verb. Just as leggja becomes leggur in the third-person singular present, the compound naturally becomes skipuleggur.

Question 4

Why is oft placed after the verb, unlike the English translation "often organizes"?

Accepted Answer

Icelandic strictly follows the V2 (verb-second) rule in main declarative clauses. Because the subject Nemendafélagið takes up the first position, the conjugated verb skipuleggur must immediately follow in the second position. Adverbs of frequency like oft are therefore pushed to the third position, right after the verb.

Question 5

partíið is clearly an English loanword. Does it follow standard Icelandic declension here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it does. partí was adopted as a neuter noun. In this sentence, it is the direct object and takes the accusative case. Since neuter nouns have identical nominative and accusative forms, it doesn't change. We simply attach the standard neuter definite article -ið to the end to get partíið (the party).

Nemendafélagið skipuleggur oft partíið.

Breakdown of Nemendafélagið skipuleggur oft partíið.

Questions & Answers about Nemendafélagið skipuleggur oft partíið.

Learn Nemendafélagið skipuleggur oft partíið and more in Icelandic