Breakdown of Við vitum ekki hvort gerandinn axlar ábyrgðina eða réttlætir sjálfan sig.
ekki
not
við
we
eða
or
sig
himself/herself/themselves (acc)
vita
to know (a fact, information)
hvort
whether
sjálfur
self, oneself
ábyrgðin
the responsibility
gerandinn
the perpetrator
axla
to shoulder
réttlæta
to justify
Questions & Answers about Við vitum ekki hvort gerandinn axlar ábyrgðina eða réttlætir sjálfan sig.
Why do we use sjálfan sig here instead of just the normal reflexive pronoun sig?
Why is sjálfur in the form sjálfan in this sentence?
The word sjálfur acts like an adjective here and must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it refers back to, which is gerandinn (a masculine noun). Because the verb réttlæta (to justify) requires an accusative object, both the reflexive pronoun (sig) and the emphatic word (sjálfan) are in the masculine accusative singular.
Is axlar ábyrgðina a direct translation of the English phrase "shoulders the responsibility"?
Yes! Just like in English, the Icelandic verb axla literally means "to shoulder" (derived from the noun öxl, meaning "shoulder"). It is used exactly the same way metaphorically with ábyrgð (responsibility) to mean taking on the burden or blame for an action.
How does the noun gerandinn get its meaning of "the perpetrator"?
It is formed from the verb gera (to do) plus the suffix -andi, creating the active noun gerandi (doer). In modern Icelandic, particularly in news and legal contexts, gerandi is the standard word for "perpetrator" or "offender". Here, it has the masculine singular definite article attached (-nn).
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