Breakdown of Sá gríðarlegi mannfjöldi telur rúmlega tíu þúsund manns.
tíu
ten
sá
that (demonstrative)
þúsund
thousand
mannfjöldinn
the population
telja
to count
manns
people (for counting)
rúmlega
well over
gríðarlegur
immense
Questions & Answers about Sá gríðarlegi mannfjöldi telur rúmlega tíu þúsund manns.
Why is manns in the singular form when we are talking about ten thousand people?
This is the invariable partitive genitive, the focus of this lesson. When estimating or counting large groups of people, Icelandic uses the singular genitive manns (literally 'of a person') instead of a plural form like menn or manna. It acts as a fixed unit that does not change to match the number.
Why does the adjective gríðarlegi use the weak declension instead of the strong form gríðarlegur?
The adjective takes the weak form because it is preceded by the demonstrative pronoun sá (that). Just like when using a definite article or a possessive pronoun, a demonstrative pronoun forces the following adjective into its weak declension.
Does telur mean the crowd is actively counting something?
No, in this context the verb telja (to count) is used just like 'numbers' or 'amounts to' in English. The crowd is not actively doing math; rather, the sentence is stating the total size of the crowd.
How does the word rúmlega translate to 'well over'?
The adverb rúmlega comes from the adjective rúmur, which means spacious, roomy, or ample. When used with quantities, it means the amount is 'amply' or 'generously' that number, indicating there is a bit of extra 'room' beyond ten thousand.
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