Breakdown of Hver hafnar öðrum rökum?
hver
who / what / which (one)
annar
other, another; second
hafna
to reject
rökin
the arguments
Questions & Answers about Hver hafnar öðrum rökum?
Why is the object öðrum rökum in the dative case?
In Icelandic, some verbs dictate the case of the words that follow them. The verb hafna (to reject) always requires its object to be in the dative case. Because of this, both the noun (rökum) and the pronoun describing it (öðrum) must take the dative form.
How does the indefinite pronoun annar become öðrum here?
Annar means "other." Because it describes the dative plural noun rökum, it must match it in case and number. The dative plural form of annar is öðrum. Notice how adding the -um ending triggers a U-shift, changing the first vowel from a to ö.
Wait, is rökum a plural word?
Yes! The base word is rök (arguments, reasons, or logic). It is a neuter noun that is almost always used in the plural. When we put a plural noun in the dative case, it takes the standard -um ending, giving us rökum.
Why is the verb hafnar singular? Couldn't multiple people be rejecting the arguments?
Even if the answer might turn out to be multiple people, the question word hver (who) acts as a singular subject. Just like in English ("Who rejects..." instead of "Who reject..."), it takes the 3rd person singular form of the verb, which is hafnar.
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