Breakdown of Ég talaði við alla nema varðmanninn.
ég
I
tala
to speak
allur
all / everything / everyone
við
with (talking with)
nema
except, unless
varðmaðurinn
the guard (watchman, sentry)
Questions & Answers about Ég talaði við alla nema varðmanninn.
Why is varðmanninn in the accusative case here?
This showcases how nema works when it means except. The noun following nema takes the exact same case as the group it is being excluded from. Since the guard is being excluded from alla (everyone), and alla is in the accusative case, varðmanninn must also be in the accusative.
Why is alla in the accusative case in the first place?
It is dictated by the preposition við. While við can take either the accusative or the dative depending on its meaning, the verb phrase tala við (to speak with) always requires the accusative case.
Why use the masculine plural form alla to mean everyone?
How does the compound word varðmanninn decline here?
It is a combination of vörður (watch/guard) and maður (man). In the accusative case, maður changes to mann. We then add the masculine accusative singular definite article -inn to the end, resulting in varðmanninn.
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