Breakdown of Afi minn var langsterkastur en pabbi þinn var langfljótastur.
vera
to be
en
but
pabbinn
the dad (informal)
minn
my
þinn
your (sg.)
afinn
the grandfather
langsterkastur
by far the strongest
langfljótastur
by far the fastest
Questions & Answers about Afi minn var langsterkastur en pabbi þinn var langfljótastur.
How does the prefix lang- change the meaning of the adjectives in this sentence?
The prefix lang- is used to intensify superlative adjectives. While sterkastur means 'the strongest', adding lang- creates langsterkastur, meaning 'by far the strongest' (literally 'long-strongest').
Could I attach the lang- prefix to a comparative adjective instead, to mean 'much stronger'?
No, the prefix lang- is strictly reserved for intensifying superlatives. If you wanted to intensify a comparative adjective to say 'much stronger' or 'much faster', you would use the separate dative word miklu (much), resulting in miklu sterkari.
Why do we say afi minn and pabbi þinn without the definite article on the nouns?
Usually, Icelandic requires the definite article on a noun when it is followed by a possessive pronoun (like bíllinn minn for 'my car'). However, close family members are a common exception. Words like afi (grandpa) and pabbi (dad) drop the article and take the pronoun directly.
Why do the superlatives langsterkastur and langfljótastur end in -ur here?
Adjectives in the superlative still need to agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. Because afi and pabbi are both masculine, singular, and in the nominative case (as the subjects of the sentence), the adjectives take the strong masculine nominative ending -ur.
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