Questions & Answers about Skriðþunginn magnast og hann fer hraðar og hraðar.
How does the iterative comparison in hraðar og hraðar work, and is it an adjective or an adverb here?
It translates to 'faster and faster'. To show a continuous, ongoing increase in Icelandic, you simply repeat the comparative word with og in between, exactly like in English. In this sentence, hraðar describes the verb fer (goes), so it functions as an adverb. Because it is an adverb, it does not decline or change form to match a noun.
Why does the verb magnast end in -st?
The -st suffix marks the middle voice. The active verb magna means 'to magnify', 'to empower', or 'to strengthen' something else. By using the middle voice form magnast, the action happens to the subject itself: the momentum intensifies or builds itself up, without needing an outside force to act upon it.
Why is the pronoun hann used to mean 'it' in the second clause?
Hann refers directly back to skriðþunginn (the momentum). In Icelandic, pronouns must match the grammatical gender of the noun they replace. Because skriðþungi is a masculine noun, you must use the masculine pronoun hann rather than the neuter pronoun það.
What is the literal breakdown of the compound word skriðþunginn?