Breakdown of Isvaken har alltid kallats isande kall.
kall
cold
alltid
always
ha
to have
kalla
to call (give a name to)
isvaken
the ice hole
isande
freezing
Questions & Answers about Isvaken har alltid kallats isande kall.
How does the word isande work together with kall in this sentence?
Isande is a present participle (formed from the verb isa, meaning to freeze or chill) that is acting as a degree adverb here. It intensifies the adjective kall, creating the meaning "freezing cold". Like all present participles in Swedish, isande never changes its form, regardless of whether the noun it refers to is an en-word, an ett-word, or plural.
Does isvaken have something to do with the word vaken (awake)?
Not in this case! While vaken is indeed the Swedish adjective for "awake", here it is the definite form of the noun en vak, which means a hole in the ice (often cut for winter bathing or fishing). Combined with is (ice), isvaken simply means "the ice hole".
Why does the verb kallats end in an -s?
That -s is the passive marker. The active form har kallat would mean "has called" (for example, a person calling someone's name). By adding the -s to make har kallats, the meaning becomes passive: "has been called".
Would kall change if we were talking about multiple ice holes?
Yes! If the subject were plural, such as isvakarna (the ice holes), the adjective would need to agree with it and become plural: isvakarna har alltid kallats isande kalla. Notice that the intensifying participle isande stays exactly the same; only the main adjective kall adds an -a.
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