Icelandic (Íslenska)

Icelandic is a Northern Germanic language with about 300,000 speakers in Iceland (Ísland), Canada (Kanada) and the USA (Bandaríki Norður-Ameríku). Icelandic is the closest of the Northern Germanic languages to Old Norse and it is possible for Icelandic speakers to read the Old Norse sagas in the original without too much difficulty.

The first permanent settlement in Iceland was established by Vikings for Norway and Celts from the British Isles in 870 AD. The main language of the settlers was Old Norse or the Dansk tunga (Danish tongue). A number of great literary works - the sagas - were written by Icelanders during the 12th and 13th centuries. These sagas, many of which were the work of unknown authors, were written in a language very much like Old Norse. The greatest known authors from this period were Ari the Learned (1068-1148) and Snorri Sturlson (1179-1241).

From 1262 until the 15th century, Iceland was governed by Norway, then the Danes took over. During the periods of Norwegian and Danish rule, Norwegian and Danish were used in Iceland, to some extent.

In 1944 Iceland gained its independence and Icelandic was revived as an official and literary language. Today there is a flourishing publishing industry in Iceland and Icelanders are probably the keenest readers and writers in the world.

The letters C (se), Q (kú) and W (tvöfalt vaff) are also used but only in foreign loanwords. The letter Z (seta) is no longer used in Icelandic, except in the newspaper Morgunblaðið

Icelandic Pronunciation

Notes

• Stressed vowels are long:
  - in one-syllable words where the vowel is word-final;
  - before a single consonant;
  - before the consonant clusters pr, tr, kr, sr, pj, tj, sj, tv or kv
  
• Elsewhere stressed vowels are short
• Unstressed vowels are always short
• nn = [tn] after an accented vowel or a diphthong

Sample text in Icelandic

Hver maður er borinn frjáls og jafn öðrum að virðingu og réttindum. Menn eru gæddir vitsmunum og samvisku, og ber þeim að breyta bróðurlega hverjum við annan.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Longer sample text (Tower of Babel)

Useful phrases in Icelandic

  Icelandic languages courses, dictionaries, etc

Links

Information about the Icelandic language and pronunciation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_language

The University of Iceland's Free Course in Modern Icelandic Language and Culture
http://icelandic.hi.is/

Icelandic Grammar Notebook
http://www.samkoma.com/mimir/mimir.htm

Íslensk málstöð (Icelandic Language Institute)
http://www.ismal.hi.is

Orðabanki (Icelandic Word Bank)
http://www.ismal.hi.is/ob/

Online Icelandic dictionaries
http://www.hugtakasafn.utn.stjr.is
http://www.northvegr.org/zoega/
http://www.ismal.hi.is/ob/birta/index.cgi
http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/IcelOnline/

Online Icelandic radio
http://www.ruv.is
http://www.bylgjan.is
http://www.utvarpsaga.is

Online Icelandic newspapers
http://www.bb.is
http://www.visir.is
http://www.mbl.is

Háfrónska málhreyfingin (High Icelandic language movement) - an organisation that promotes the 'High Icelandic language' (háfrónska), an ultrapurist form of Modern Icelandic: http://www.hafronska.org

Related languages

Afrikaans, Alsatian, Cimbrian, Danish, Dutch, English, Faroese, Frisian, German, Icelandic, Luxembourgish, Norwegian, Old English, Old Norse, Scots, Swedish

Other languages written with the Latin alphabet

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