Question 1

Since this lesson focuses on the -dómur suffix, how would we build an abstract noun from the word læknir (doctor) seen in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

You take the genitive (possessive) form of the noun, which is læknis, and attach the suffix -dómur. This gives you læknisdómur, which means "medicine," "cure," or "the healing arts." It is a great example of how -dómur turns a profession into an abstract discipline!

Question 2

Why is "What" translated as Það sem here instead of the question word Hvað?

Accepted Answer

In Icelandic, hvað is strictly for asking direct questions. When "what" is used in a statement to mean "that which" or "the thing that", you must use the relative pronoun phrase það sem. English speakers often try to put Hvað at the start of a sentence like this, but in Icelandic, that would sound like you are suddenly asking a question.

Question 3

Why does the verb lækna have the infinitive marker að in front of it, while gera does not?

Accepted Answer

Gera directly follows vill (wants). Because vilja acts as a modal verb here, it takes a "bare infinitive" without að. However, að lækna follows the verb er (is). To say "is to heal", Icelandic requires the full infinitive with að to set up the action as a noun phrase.

Question 4

Why is þig in the accusative case here?

Accepted Answer

It is the direct object of the verb að lækna (to heal). The doctor is performing the action of healing directly upon the patient, so the nominative þú (you) changes to the accusative þig.

Það sem læknirinn vill gera er að lækna þig.

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