Breakdown of Þegar árásin byrjaði, þá var brynjan á borðinu.
vera
to be
borðið
the table
á
onto / on / in (static location) / on (a day of the week)
byrja
to start
þegar
when
þá
then
árásin
the attack
brynjan
the armor
Questions & Answers about Þegar árásin byrjaði, þá var brynjan á borðinu.
Why do we use the word þá here?
In Icelandic, when a sentence begins with a temporal (þegar) or conditional (ef) subordinate clause, the main clause is frequently introduced by the resumptive adverb þá (then). It acts as a helpful anchor to signal that the background context is complete and the main statement is beginning.
Because of þá, how does the V2 (verb-second) rule apply to the main clause?
When you use þá to anchor the main clause, it conceptually takes the first position of that new clause. The V2 rule dictates that the verb must come next, which is why we see var in the second position, pushing the subject brynjan to the third position (þá var brynjan).
Could I leave out þá? If so, would the word order change?
You can drop þá, but the word order remains exactly the same: Þegar árásin byrjaði, var brynjan... Without þá, the entire subordinate clause counts as the first position of the overall sentence, so the main verb var still must immediately follow it to satisfy the V2 rule.
As a quick refresher, why is borðinu in the dative case?
The preposition á takes the dative case when it describes a stationary location, such as the armor resting on the table. If the sentence described an action of motion toward a destination (like placing the armor onto the table), it would take the accusative case.
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