Icelandic
Icelandic (Íslenska)
Icelandic (Íslenska; IPA: /aɪsˈlɛnskə/) is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Iceland. It is closely related to Norwegian and Faroese, although there are slight traces of Celtic influence in ancient Icelandic literature.
Etymology
The term "Icelandic" comes from the country's name, Iceland, which in turn is derived from the Old Norse Ísland, meaning "land of ice". The language itself is a descendant of Old Norse, which was spoken by the inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries during the Viking Age.
Pronunciation
Icelandic pronunciation is known for its complex phonology, including a variety of vowel sounds, aspirated and unaspirated stops, and a voiceless alveolar lateral approximant. The language also features pre-aspiration, a feature found in few other languages.
Related Terms
- Old Norse: The language from which Icelandic descended.
- Norwegian: A closely related North Germanic language.
- Faroese: Another closely related North Germanic language.
- Celtic: An ancient language group that had slight influence on Icelandic.
- Phonology: The study of the systematic organization of sounds in languages.
- Viking Age: The historical period associated with the Viking expansion from the 8th to the 11th century.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Icelandic
- Wikipedia's article - Icelandic
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