Breakdown of Varðmaðurinn hleypir engum inn nema formanninum.
inn
in (motion inwards)
enginn
no one / nobody / no (m/f)
nema
except, unless
hleypa
to let / to allow (in, out, to pass)
formaðurinn
the chairman
varðmaðurinn
the guard (watchman, sentry)
Questions & Answers about Varðmaðurinn hleypir engum inn nema formanninum.
Why is formanninum in the dative case here?
It is because of the word nema (except). When nema introduces an exception, the noun that follows it matches the case of the pronoun or noun it is excluding. Here, the chairman is an exception to engum (no one). Since engum is dative, formanninum must also be dative.
Why is the antecedent engum in the dative case to begin with?
That is dictated by the verb hleypa (to let someone in or out). This verb requires its object to take the dative case. The guard lets no one (engum) in, which forces the dative on the object, and that case requirement carries over to the exception after nema.
Why do we use inn instead of inni here?
You use inn because there is active movement involved (letting someone enter). The word inn is an adverb showing direction towards the inside. If you wanted to describe someone already stationary inside a building, you would use inni.
How does the word formaður decline to become formanninum?
Formaður (chairman) is a masculine noun. In the dative singular, the root word maður changes to manni, making the indefinite dative form formanni. Then, you add the dative masculine singular definite article suffix -num, resulting in formanninum.
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