Breakdown of Sjúkdómurinn er stundum banvænn ef læknirinn hefur ekki rétta seyðið.
vera
to be
læknirinn
the doctor
ekki
not
stundum
sometimes
hafa
to have
ef
if
réttur
correct
sjúkdómurinn
the disease
banvænn
fatal
seyðið
the brew (infusion, potion)
Questions & Answers about Sjúkdómurinn er stundum banvænn ef læknirinn hefur ekki rétta seyðið.
How does the suffix -dómur change the root word in sjúkdómurinn?
The root is the adjective sjúkur, meaning sick. Adding the masculine suffix -dómur turns it into an abstract noun, sjúkdómur, meaning sickness or disease. This suffix often attaches to adjectives or nouns to describe a state, condition, or domain, very much like the English suffix -dom.
Why is the nominative form sjúkdómurinn instead of sjúkdóminn?
Sjúkdómur is a strong masculine noun. In the nominative case, you add the definite article -inn directly to the full nominative form, giving you sjúkdómurinn. Learners often confuse this with the accusative form, where the -ur drops before the article, becoming sjúkdóminn. Here, the disease is the subject of the sentence, so it stays in the nominative.
Why is the adjective rétta used here instead of the dictionary form réttur?
The adjective réttur (right or correct) must use the weak declension here because it modifies a definite noun, seyðið (the brew). For a neuter singular noun in the accusative case, the weak form of the adjective is rétta.
What is the literal breakdown of the adjective banvænn?
Why does the adverb stundum look exactly like a dative plural noun?
Because it historically is one! It comes from the dative plural of the feminine noun stund (a while or period of time), literally meaning at times. Over time, it fossilized into a standard, unchangeable adverb meaning sometimes.
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