Accusative Absolute - German

German

In German, a noun phrase can be put in the accusative to indicate that the subject of the sentence has the property described. For example:

Neben ihm saß der dünnhaarige Pianist, den Kopf im Nacken, und lauschte.
next to him sat the thin-haired pianist the-masc.acc.sg head in the neck and listened
"The thin-haired pianist, his head hanging (lit. his head in his neck), sat next to him and listened."

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