meginsetning

Meginsetning (Icelandic for “main clause”) is the main clause or independent clause in Icelandic grammar. It expresses a complete proposition and can stand alone as a sentence. In complex sentences, the meginsetning forms the matrix clause, while additional information is supplied by subordinate clauses (undirsetningar). The term distinguishes the principal assertion from embedded or dependent clauses.

Characteristics: A meginsetning contains a finite verb that marks tense and mood and has a subject and predicate. It can stand alone and end with a period. In Icelandic main clauses, the finite verb typically occupies the second position (the V2 pattern) when the sentence begins with an element other than the subject; if the subject comes first, the verb follows directly. Examples: Ég les bók. Í dag fer ég í vinnu.

Relation to subordinate clauses: Subordinate (undirsetningar) clauses cannot stand alone and are embedded within the meginsetning. They are introduced by conjunctions or relative pronouns such as að, ef, þegar, sem. Examples: Ég les bók sem er spennandi. Ég fer heim þegar dagurinn lýkur. Ég veit að þú ert heima.

Function and usage: The meginsetning expresses the main assertion or question; multiple meginsetningar can be joined with coordinating conjunctions to form compound sentences. In written Icelandic, punctuation often marks boundaries between main and subordinate clauses with commas. The concept of meginsetning is a standard part of Icelandic grammar and is taught in language studies and dictionaries.