Icelandic What to Know

Icelandic is a North Germanic language spoken by about 350,000 people, primarily in Iceland. It is the closest living relative to the language of the Medieval Scandinavian manuscripts.

Here are some interesting facts about Icelandic:

- Icelandic is one of the most conservative living languages, and its grammar and vocabulary have remained largely unchanged since the 12th century, the time when the first written documents were produced in Iceland.

- It has a rich and highly inflected grammar. Nouns, adjectives and verbs have several grammatical cases and four genders, and some verbs also change with the gender of the subject.

- Icelandic has not borrowed many words from other languages and has instead formed new words from its own roots, so much of the vocabulary is quite unique.

- The Icelandic language has a literary tradition that dates back over a thousand years, with the first written works appearing in the 12th century. The best known of these works are the sagas, which are long, epic stories often recounting the lives and adventures of Icelandic chieftains.

- The Icelandic language has a strong tradition of oral storytelling and poetry, and there are many skilled poets and storytellers who perform regularly at events and festivals.

- Icelandic is a vibrant language that is constantly evolving and adapting to new trends and technologies. It is a language that is full of history and culture, and it is a living testament to the enduring spirit of the Icelandic people.