{"id":2169,"date":"2013-05-10T01:56:32","date_gmt":"2013-05-10T01:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/islenzka.net\/?p=2169"},"modified":"2013-05-10T05:33:59","modified_gmt":"2013-05-10T05:33:59","slug":"whos-in-charge-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/whos-in-charge-here\/","title":{"rendered":"Who’s In Charge Here?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Althingi\"<\/p>\n

With the recent elections in Iceland and upcoming changes in leadership, I thought it would be good to review vocabulary related to political posts that you might encounter while reading Icelandic news. The past week or so has been filled with meetings between Sigmund Dav\u00ed\u00f0 Gunnlaugsson, chairman of the Progressive Party and leaders of the other parties which won seats in parliament. It seems most likely that a coalition government will be formed between his party and the Independence Party, headed by Bjarni Benediktsson. There still has been no announcement of the formation of a new government though, and one is not expected before the weekend according to R\u00daV:<\/p>\n

N\u00fd stj\u00f3rn ekki myndu\u00f0 fyrr en eftir helgi<\/a><\/strong>
\nNo New Government Before Next Week<\/strong><\/p>\n

The title uses the expression fyrr en<\/strong>, which is a common way to say before\/until<\/em>:
\nfyrr en n\u00fana<\/strong> – until now
\nfyrr en seinna<\/strong> – until later
\nfyrr en eftir helgi<\/strong> – until next week (after the weekend)<\/p>\n

“Fundur Sigmundar Dav\u00ed\u00f0s Gunnlaugssonar formanns Frams\u00f3knarflokksins og Bjarna Benediktssonar formanns Sj\u00e1lfst\u00e6\u00f0isflokksins um myndun n\u00fdrrar r\u00edkisstj\u00f3rnar st\u00f3\u00f0 enn n\u00fa r\u00e9tt fyrir fr\u00e9ttir. Samkv\u00e6mt heimildum fr\u00e9ttastofu fundu\u00f0u \u00feeir \u00ed Reykholti \u00ed Biskupstungum. \u00dear \u00e1 tengdafa\u00f0ir Sigmundar Dav\u00ed\u00f0s \u00e1 h\u00fas.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

“A meeting on the formation of a new government between Sigmund Dav\u00ed\u00f0 Gunnlaugsson, chairman of the Progressive Party, and Bjarni Benediktsson, chairman of the Independence Party, still stood at the top of the news. According to news sources they met in Biskupstungur in Reykholt, where Sigmund Dav\u00ed\u00f0’s father-in-law has a house.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
a\u00f0 mynda – to form<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\npresent<\/th>\npast<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00e9g<\/th>\nmynda<\/td>\nmynda\u00f0i<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fe\u00fa<\/th>\nmyndar<\/td>\nmynda\u00f0ir<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fea\u00f0<\/th>\nmyndar<\/td>\nmynda\u00f0i<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
vi\u00f0<\/th>\nmyndum<\/td>\nmyndu\u00f0um<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fei\u00f0<\/th>\nmyndi\u00f0<\/td>\nmyndu\u00f0u\u00f0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00feau<\/th>\nmynda<\/td>\nmyndu\u00f0u<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n  <\/td>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
a\u00f0 funda – to hold a meeting<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\npresent<\/th>\npast<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00e9g<\/th>\nfunda<\/td>\nfunda\u00f0i<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fe\u00fa<\/th>\nfundar<\/td>\nfunda\u00f0ir<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fea\u00f0<\/th>\nfunda<\/td>\nfunda\u00f0i<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
vi\u00f0<\/th>\nfundum<\/td>\nfundu\u00f0um<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00fei\u00f0<\/th>\nfundi\u00f0<\/td>\nfundu\u00f0u\u00f0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00feau<\/th>\nfunda<\/td>\nfundu\u00f0u<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

The noun meaning formation<\/em> or creation<\/em> is myndun f (-unar,-anir)<\/strong><\/p>\n

“J\u00f3hannes \u00de\u00f3r Sk\u00falason a\u00f0sto\u00f0arma\u00f0ur Sigmundar Dav\u00ed\u00f0s sag\u00f0i \u00ed samtali vi\u00f0 fr\u00e9ttastofu a\u00f0 vi\u00f0r\u00e6\u00f0urnar gengju enn\u00fe\u00e1 vel og b\u00fai\u00f0 v\u00e6ri a\u00f0 n\u00e1 fram ni\u00f0urst\u00f6\u00f0um a\u00f0 hluta en ekki v\u00e6ri h\u00e6gt a\u00f0 uppl\u00fdsa neitt frekar \u00e1 \u00feessu stigi.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

“In a conversation with news services Sigmund Dav\u00ed\u00f0’s assistant J\u00f3hannes \u00de\u00f3r Sk\u00falason said that talks were still progressing well and had achieved some partial results, but it wasn’t possible to disclose anything further at this stage.”<\/em><\/p>\n

This passage is a great example of the use of the subjunctive mood in reported speech. The words gengju<\/strong> and v\u00e6ri<\/strong> are past subjunctive forms of the verbs ganga<\/strong> and vera<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“Me\u00f0al annars hef\u00f0i veri\u00f0 r\u00e6tt um skiptingu r\u00e1\u00f0uneyta en engar \u00e1kvar\u00f0anir veri\u00f0 teknar. B\u00faast m\u00e1 vi\u00f0 a\u00f0 stj\u00f3rnin ver\u00f0i ekki myndu\u00f0 fyrr en eftir helgi.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Among other things discussed was the division of ministries, but no decisions were made. It is expected that the government will not be formed until after the weekend.”<\/em><\/p>\n

As in most governments there are many ministries\/departments, as well as people to head them up. In Icelandic the word for ministry is r\u00e1\u00f0uneyti<\/strong>, and a minister is a r\u00e1\u00f0herra<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
r\u00e1\u00f0u\u00b7neyti (n) – ministry<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\nsingular<\/th>\nplural<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
nom<\/th>\nr\u00e1\u00f0uneyti<\/td>\nr\u00e1\u00f0uneyti<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
acc<\/th>\nr\u00e1\u00f0uneyti<\/p>\nr\u00e1\u00f0uneyti<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
dat<\/th>\nr\u00e1\u00f0uneyti<\/td>\nr\u00e1\u00f0uneytum<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
gen<\/th>\nr\u00e1\u00f0uneytis<\/td>\nr\u00e1\u00f0uneyta<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n  <\/td>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
r\u00e1\u00f0\u00b7herra (m) – minister<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\nsingular<\/th>\nplural<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
nom<\/th>\nr\u00e1\u00f0herra<\/td>\nr\u00e1\u00f0herrar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
acc<\/th>\nr\u00e1\u00f0herra<\/p>\nr\u00e1\u00f0herra<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
dat<\/th>\nr\u00e1\u00f0herra<\/td>\nr\u00e1\u00f0herrum<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
gen<\/th>\nr\u00e1\u00f0herra<\/td>\nr\u00e1\u00f0herra<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

By simply prefixing the part of government in question, you form the words for the department and its leader. For example:<\/p>\n

\r\nutanr\u00edkis\u00b7r\u00e1\u00f0herra\t\tforeign minister\r\nutanr\u00edkis\u00b7r\u00e1\u00f0uneyti\t\tforeign ministry\r\n<\/pre>\n
A partial list follows. Try breaking down the prefixes to learn where the words derive their meaning from. In the above case, utan<\/strong> is outside<\/em> or external<\/em>, while r\u00edki<\/strong> is state<\/em> or government<\/em>. So the result is foreign<\/em> \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
\r\nstj\u00f3rnar\u00b7mynd\/un f \t\tformation of a government\r\nfor\u00b7set\/i m (-a,-ar)\t\tpresident\r\nfors\u00e6tis\u00b7r\u00e1\u00f0herra m (-,-r)\tprime minister, premier\r\nr\u00e1\u00f0\u00b7herra m (-,-r)\t\tminister\r\nfor\/ma\u00f0ur m (-manns,-menn)\tchairman, director\r\n\u00feing\/ma\u00f0ur m (-manns,-menn)\tmember of parliament\r\nr\u00e1\u00f0u\u00b7neyti n (-s,-)\t\tministry, department\r\nutanr\u00edkis\u00b7r\u00e1\u00f0herra\t\tforeign minister\r\nfj\u00e1rm\u00e1la\u00b7r\u00e1\u00f0herra\t\tminister of finance\r\nd\u00f3msm\u00e1la\u00b7r\u00e1\u00f0herra\t\tminister of justice\r\nf\u00e9lagsm\u00e1la\u00b7r\u00e1\u00f0herra\t\tminister of social affairs\r\ninnanr\u00edkis\u00b7r\u00e1\u00f0herra\t\tminister of home affairs\r\nmenntam\u00e1la\u00b7r\u00e1\u00f0herra\t\tminister of education\r\nsamg\u00f6ngu\u00b7r\u00e1\u00f0herra\t\tminister of transport\r\nsj\u00e1var\u00fatvegs\u00b7r\u00e1\u00f0herra\t\tminister of fisheries\r\numhverfis\u00b7r\u00e1\u00f0herra\t\tminister of the environment\r\n<\/pre>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With the recent elections in Iceland and upcoming changes in leadership, I thought it would be good to review vocabulary…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[11,13],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2169"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2169"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2169\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2347,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2169\/revisions\/2347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islenzka.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}