Language Learning: Icelandic Language
In honor of Icelandic Language Day on November 16th, this month’s edition of language learning is the Icelandic language. Also called Dagur íslenskrar tungu in Icelandic, this day is celebrated yearly on the birthday of 19th-century poet Jónas Hallgrímsson.
The day is dedicated to celebrating and promoting the Icelandic language. Icelandic Language Day was first celebrated in 1996 on Hallgrímsson’s birthday. Hallgrímsson played a pivotal role as a poet and naturalist in fostering Icelandic identity and culture.
Icelandic Language Day is marked by many activities promoting the language to engage speakers, increase awareness, and have fun. The highlight of the day is the presentation of the Icelandic Government’s Jónas Hallgrímsson Award. This prestigious award is given to someone that has made noteworthy contributions to preserving and promoting the Icelandic language.
The Icelandic language is the national language of Iceland and spoken by the entire population. Icelandic is the most conservative of the Scandinavian languages. It has three genders, four cases for nouns, several declensions, and complicated pronoun and verb systems that have changed very little since the classical period. Because of this preservation, Icelanders today can still read Old Icelandic without difficulty.
