Wikijunior:Languages/Icelandic
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What writing system(s) does Icelandic use? [edit]
Icelandic uses what is today called the Latin Alphabet. This alphabet is thought by many historians to have been a modified version of the ancient Greek alphabet, which in turn is also a variation of ancient Phoenician writing. Icelandic also uses some letters that are not very common in other languages, like ð (eth) and æ (ash).
Icelandic is descended from Old Norse.
How many people speak Icelandic? [edit]
All inhabitants of Iceland (about 300,000) speak Icelandic.
Where is this language spoken? [edit]
In Iceland, some parts of Canada and also some people from Denmark, Sweden, Norway speak the language.
What is the history of this language? [edit]
It descends from Old Norse.
Some famous people who spoke this language [edit]
- Björk Guðmundsdóttir- Björk is a famous singer from Iceland.
- Eiríkur Rauði- Eiríkir Rauði or "Erik the Red" was an Icelandic Viking.
- Gunnar á Hlíðarenda- Gunnar á Hlíðarenda or "Gunnar from Hlíðarendi" is a character from book Njála.
- The band Sigur Rós from Iceland
What are some basic words in this language that I can learn? [edit]
- Halló, hæ- Hello, hi
- Bless, bæ- Goodbye, bye
- Fögur er hlíðin- The hill is beautiful, an excerpt from Njála.
- Og - And
- Ég - I
- Hvað heitir þú? - What is your name?
- Ég heiti Páll. - My name is Paul.
- Hvaðan kemurðu? - Where do you come from?
- Ég kem frá Bretlandi. - I come from Britain.
- Takk (fyrir).- Thank you
References [edit]
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Wikijunior: Languages | edit | |
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Introduction • Glossary • Authors and Contributing • Print Version |
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