Breakdown of De uråldriga manuskripten är sköra att hantera.
vara
to be
att
to
de
the (plural, before adjective)
hantera
to handle (deal with, operate)
skör
fragile
uråldrig
ancient
manuskriptet
the manuscript (script, draft)
Questions & Answers about De uråldriga manuskripten är sköra att hantera.
Why is sköra in the plural form here instead of the neuter form skört?
In this sentence, de uråldriga manuskripten has been moved to the front to become the grammatical subject. Because it is a plural subject, the adjective sköra (fragile) must agree with it and take the plural -a ending. Even though the manuscripts are logically the object you are handling, Swedish grammar requires the adjective to match the grammatical subject in this type of construction.
How would this sentence look if I didn't move the manuscripts to the subject position?
You would use the impersonal subject det (it) and place the manuscripts at the end: Det är skört att hantera de uråldriga manuskripten. Notice that in this version, the adjective becomes skört (neuter singular) to agree with the impersonal det.
Why does uråldriga end in -a?
It is in the definite plural form. In Swedish, whenever an adjective comes between a freestanding definite article (like de) and a noun with a definite suffix (like manuskripten), the adjective must take the -a ending.
What is the function of the prefix ur- in uråldriga?
The prefix ur- is used to mean original, primeval, or to act as a strong intensifier. While åldrig means aged or elderly, adding ur- turns it into ancient or incredibly old. You will also see this useful prefix in words like ursprung (origin) or skog becoming urskog (primeval forest).
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