Breakdown of Hið byltingarkennda er oft óafturkræft.
vera
to be
oft
often
hið
the (formal neuter)
byltingarkenndur
revolutionary
óafturkræfur
irreversible
Questions & Answers about Hið byltingarkennda er oft óafturkræft.
How does Hið change the meaning of the adjective here?
By placing the neuter free-standing article Hið before an adjective, you turn it into an abstract noun. This is called substantivization. Instead of describing a specific object, Hið byltingarkennda means 'that which is revolutionary' or the general concept of 'the revolutionary'.
Why does byltingarkennda end in -a rather than the usual neuter -t?
Because it follows the free-standing definite article Hið, the adjective is required to use the weak declension. The weak neuter singular ending for adjectives is always -a.
If the subject uses the weak form (byltingarkennda), why is the describing adjective óafturkræft in the strong form?
The subject phrase Hið byltingarkennda acts as a neuter singular noun. Adjectives that come after a linking verb like 'to be' (predicative adjectives) take the strong declension unless they are accompanied by their own definite article. Therefore, óafturkræfur takes the strong neuter singular ending -t to agree with the subject.
How is the word óafturkræft constructed?
It breaks down into ó- (un-/not), aftur (back), and kræfur (related to the verb krefja, meaning 'to demand'). Literally, it describes something that is 'unable to be demanded back', which translates perfectly to 'irreversible'.
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