# Icelandic: -kenndur



## Gavril

Many Icelandic adjectives seem to be composed of a noun + _-kenndur. _What does -_kenndur_ normally mean in this context?

(Unfortunately I can't remember any examples of _-kenndur _adjectives right now, but there definitely does seem to be a pattern involving this suffix.)

Þakkir


----------



## NoMoreMrIceGuy

It means that you are associated or named in relation to something.

Examples:

Kenna við (verb)
_
Gunnar, kenndur við Krossinn.
Gunnar of Krossinn.
_
Þjófkenna (verb) to imply that someone is a thief
_
Ég var þjófkenndur!
I was accused of theft/being a thief._


----------



## Alxmrphi

It's because *kenna *also means blame/accuse, right? ("_það er ekki mér að kenna_, it's not my fault, I'm not to blame"), so when you have something like the word for thief, with '_kenndur_' appended it indicates the meaning of an accusation has been launched against you. I'm not sure what restrictions are placed on the combinatorial morphology but it seems to be possible in some circumstances.


----------



## Gavril

NoMoreMrIceGuy said:


> It means that you are associated or named in relation to something.
> 
> Examples:
> 
> Kenna við (verb)
> _
> Gunnar, kenndur við Krossinn.
> Gunnar of Krossinn.
> _
> Þjófkenna (verb) to imply that someone is a thief
> _
> Ég var þjófkenndur!
> I was accused of theft/being a thief._



Could _þjófkenndur _also mean "known *for* being a thief" / "notorious as a thief"? If not, what would be the normal way of saying this?


Þakkir aftur


----------



## kepulauan

_-kenndur_ also means _-like_, as in:

vatnskenndur = water-like = watery

...and many more.


----------



## NoMoreMrIceGuy

Gavril said:


> Could _þjófkenndur _also mean "known *for* being a thief" / "notorious as a thief"? If not, what would be the normal way of saying this?
> 
> 
> Þakkir aftur



No you would not use -kenndur for known. _Þjófóttur_ would be the term for that.


----------



## Gavril

pollodia said:


> _-kenndur_ also means _-like_, as in:
> 
> vatnskenndur = water-like = watery
> 
> ...and many more.



So, would these sound alright?

_Olía er vatnskennt efni.

Tasmanískur úlfur_ [= Tasmanian wolf] _var úlfskennt pokadýr (þó ekki var hann reyndar úlfur)._


----------



## NoMoreMrIceGuy

Gavril said:


> So, would these sound alright?
> 
> _Olía er vatnskennt efni.
> 
> Tasmanískur úlfur_ [= Tasmanian wolf] _var úlfskennt pokadýr (þó ekki var hann reyndar úlfur)._



Isn't one of the defining elements of oil that it's not water, though? 
_
Olía er vökvakennt efni._ <--- This one works.

_Tasmaníutígurinn var úlfslíkt pokadýr._ <--- I'd use _-líkt_ here instead of _-kenndur_.


----------



## Gavril

NoMoreMrIceGuy said:


> Isn't one of the defining elements of oil that it's not water, though?
> _
> Olía er vökvakennt efni._ <--- This one works.
> 
> _Tasmaníutígurinn var úlfslíkt pokadýr._ <--- I'd use _-líkt_ here instead of _-kenndur_.



Hmm, still not sure that I understand.  How about these sentences:


_Vatn er vökvakennt efni.

Þó hann er fjörutíu ára gamall, hegðun hans er enn barnskennd.
_
_Hlynur er mjög laufskennt tré. _(= it has a lot of leaves)

_Edik er sýrukenndur vökvi._

_Vestmannaeyjar eru eldvirknikennt / eldstöðvarkennt svæði._


Or maybe Tazzler and Alxmrphi can point me to a section of an Icelandic grammar book where _-kenndur _adjectives are discussed?

Þakkir/Takk


----------

