Breakdown of Leikreglan er að velja aðra hvora hurðina.
vera
to be
að
to (infinitive marker)
hurðin
the door
velja
to choose
leikreglan
the rule of the game
annar hvor
one of two / either (pronoun)
Questions & Answers about Leikreglan er að velja aðra hvora hurðina.
How do both parts of aðra hvora change to match the noun?
Annar hvor means "either" or "one of two". Because both halves of this compound pronoun decline, they both need to agree with the feminine accusative noun hurðina. Therefore, the first half annar becomes aðra, and the second half hvor becomes hvora.
Why is hurðina in the definite form if the English translation just says "either door"?
In Icelandic, when you use annar hvor right in front of a noun to mean "either [noun]", that noun is required to take the definite article suffix. So you must say hurðina (the door) instead of just the indefinite hurð (door).
What dictates the case of aðra hvora hurðina in this sentence?
The infinitive verb velja (to choose) takes a direct object in the accusative case. That forces the noun hurðina into the accusative, and the modifying dual pronoun aðra hvora must follow suit.
How is the compound word leikreglan constructed?
It is made from leikur (game) and regla (rule), plus the feminine definite article -n. When forming the compound, the masculine noun leikur drops its nominative ending -ur, leaving the root leik- to attach directly to reglan.
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