What does the patronymic surname Jónsdóttir tell you?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. The person is a woman whose father is named Jón
- Step 1: Many Icelanders use a patronymic made from the father's first name, with -son for a son and -dóttir for a daughter. Step 2. Jóns- is the genitive of Jón and -dóttir means daughter, so Jónsdóttir is a daughter of Jón. Answer: The person is a woman whose father is named Jón. Why not the others: -dóttir marks a daughter, not a son, the first part comes from the father's name by default, and a patronymic is not a shared family name.
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