Can you still remember the spring of 2010? That was when the volcano Eyjafjallajökull spewed fountains of lava up to 150 meters into the air, bringing air traffic to a standstill and drawing the world’s attention to the Icelandic language. Many a TV and radio presenter got into a tizzy because of its long and complicated name. Icelandic is generally considered a difficult language to learn, but as with so many other languages, this difficulty may be in the eye of the beholder.
At ACT Translations, we love languages of all kinds, and our experienced translators are ready to help you with even the most exotic language projects. After all, your target groups should be addressed in the most appropriate way – all the time and in every medium. And since Icelandic is one of the world’s more unusual languages, which by no means every translation service provider has on offer, we would like to share a few exciting facts about Iceland and Icelandic with you at this point.
Did you know…
1. That there are no family names in Iceland?
It may be due to the remoteness of the country or the fact that Icelandic is spoken by just 356,991 inhabitants (as of 2019) plus a few people in other countries, but Icelanders actually don’t use surnames like Smith, Jones, or Taylor. Instead, they simply add a -dóttir (daughter) or -son (son) to the first name of a parent (usually the father). So, if the father’s first name is Jón, then his son will be called Jónson, the daughter Jónsdóttir. Incidentally, this doesn’t lead to any misunderstandings: everyone knows who is meant – and most Icelanders can trace their ancestry back over 1,000 years.
2. What are the two most famous Icelandic words?
Internationally, the best known are certainly “geyser” and “saga.” The word “geyser” is derived from the largest geyser in Iceland (Geysir in the south of Iceland). The sagas, on the other hand, date back to the 13th century and are epic stories about the land and its people, family and ancestral histories of Icelandic settlers. The most famous are the Grettis saga and the Brennu-Njál saga “The Saga of Burnt Njal.”
3. That Icelanders are crazy about books?
Experts estimate that one in five Icelanders will write a book in their lifetime. Icelandic publishers publish around 1,500 new titles each year, with an average print run of 1,000 copies.
4. That there are more than a dozen words for “snow” in Icelandic?
For example, “fannkoma” is a word for snowfall: heavy snowfall with large flakes in calm weather is “hundslappadrífa”: powder snow is “lausamjöll” and snowfall with wind “ofanbylur” – a total of 16 word stems.
5. That the Danish queen has an Icelandic first name?
This is down to the fact that Iceland was under Danish rule for a long time. Denmark did not grant Iceland autonomy until 1904, and sovereignty in 1918. Until the establishment of the republic in 1944, the Danish king was still head of state. All members of the Danish royal family born before June 17, 1944, therefore also have an Icelandic first name, like the current Queen Margrethe II, who was given the first name Þórhildur.
6. How did Icelandic develop?
Icelandic (Íslenska) belongs to the northern group of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. The language is very stable and has changed little. In fact, written Icelandic has changed so little over the centuries that Icelanders can still read the Sagas and Edda of Old Norse literature more or less without difficulty, provided they are written using modern orthography and supplemented with footnotes. Despite the fact that they were written more than 800 years ago! The first known settlers came to Iceland from Norway in 874 AD. They spoke a form of Old Norwegian, today often simply known as Old West Norse. Since Icelandic is spoken on only one island, there are no major dialect differences to this day.
7. That the Icelanders are very keen to protect their language from too much foreign influence, much like the French?
Early Icelandic vocabulary derives chiefly from Old West Norse. Following the introduction of Christianity in the 11th century, new religious terms were adopted from other Scandinavian languages – such as “kirkja” for church. Over the next couple of centuries, terms from other languages such as German and French were also added. Since the 19th century, however, the country’s politicians have increasingly advocated maintaining the purity of the Icelandic language. Instead of borrowing words like computer and the like from English, Icelanders create their own new words. Examples include “bifreið” (more or less “moving carriage”) for “car,” “tölva” (a portmanteau of tala “number” + völva “prophetess”) for computer or “spjaldtölva” for tablet. Since 1964, Iceland has had a committee that comes up with pure Icelandic expressions for new terms.
8. That hákarl (fermented shark) is the national dish?
These days, we’ve all heard of the Icelandic dairy product skyr, much like Greek yogurt, but less fatty and very rich in protein. But the ultimate national dish is actually dried fish and fermented shark. This dish dates back to a time when there were no refrigerators and people had to find other ways to preserve their food. Admittedly, not many people would call this their favorite dish, as it tastes quite “unusual,” to put it diplomatically, but it’s definitely typically Icelandic. Much tastier is “rugbraud,” a rye bread that is baked either in a pot or, more traditionally, in the ground near a hot spring.
9. Which Icelandic terms should you know?
It’s always good to greet your host in a friendly way, for example with “Góðan daginn” (Good day). After that, you can introduce yourself by saying “Ég heiti…” (My name is…). However, “takk” (thank you) and “skál” (cheers) are undoubtedly also important. When you want to take your leave, say “bless” (goodbye!) or “góða nótt” (good night).
If you would like to translate an Icelandic text or need an Icelandic interpreter, we will be happy to help you. Give us a call so we can discuss your individual translation needs.
