Talk Icelandic to Me

You don’t need to master the official language to get by in the Land of Fire and Ice. But learning a few tricky words can deepen your connection to the locals and their enduring heritage.
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As in most countries, Icelanders have a firm enough grasp on the English language that English-speaking visitors can get around the island without a translator. But the Icelandic language is so strikingly unique that I wanted to learn more about it before my 10-day Iceland’s Midnight Sun: Glaciers, Geysers, and the Golden Circle tour kicks off on September 12. 

It took just a few deep dives to learn that Iceland’s official language, derived from Old Norse, has changed little through the centuries. That is due to both the island’s geographical isolation in the North Atlantic Ocean and the country’s proud efforts to preserve its heritage, presenting some awkward challenges for anyone whose primary exposure to Iceland is the downhill longboard scene in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and everything that happens north of the wall in Game of Thrones. For starters, its 36-letter alphabet features several characters that aren’t present in the modern English one. Even some of the familiar consonants and vowels sound different, turning phonetic pronunciations into a minefield of misspeaks. The letter “J” sounds like “y” in “yes,” for example, while the “R” is rolled, and an “Ll” has a clicked “tl” sound in words like “fjall.”

Various online guides are good resources for mastering common words and phrases such as “sæll” (used for greeting a man) and “sæl” (used for greeting a woman or a mixed group). And I have nine months to practice the names of our tour stops— the Skógar Museum, the double-cascade Gullfoss waterfall, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and points beyond—before the all-inclusive Iceland’s Midnight Sun: Glaciers, Geysers, and the Golden Circle trip departs for the capital city of Reykjavík (pronounced REYK-ya-veek—when in doubt, put the emphasis on the first syllable). Learning Icelandic isn’t just about communicating; it’s a window into the country’s history and landscapes.

What else should visitors know about the Icelandic culture? We’ll find out during tonight’s online information session with Collette Travel.