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Icelandic dialect

Icelandic

Also known as: Íslenska

The most conservative living North Germanic language, retaining a complex inflectional system close to Old Norse. Modern Icelanders can still read 13th-century sagas with limited difficulty.

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Frequently asked questions

What language is Icelandic?

Icelandic is a dialect of the Icelandic language.

Where is Icelandic spoken?

Icelandic is primarily spoken in Iceland.

Which region is Icelandic associated with?

Icelandic is part of the Europe region on DialectAtlas.

Is Icelandic known by other names?

Yes — Icelandic is also referred to as Íslenska.

Nearby dialects

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Tunumiisut

757 km away

The Inuit language of east Greenland, centred on Tasiilaq. So divergent from West Greenlandic in pronunciation and lexicon that the two are barely mutually intelligible; often classified as a separate language.

Faroese

797 km away

The North Germanic language of the Faroe Islands. Closely related to Icelandic and Western Norwegian; co-official with Danish in the islands.

Scottish Gaelic

1,059 km away

A Goidelic Celtic language closely related to Irish, spoken across the Outer Hebrides and parts of the Highlands of Scotland. Around 60,000 speakers, with sustained revitalisation through Gaelic-medium education.

Scottish English

1,374 km away

The variety of English spoken across Scotland. Distinct from Scots (which is sometimes counted as a separate language) but heavily influenced by it.

Greenlandic Danish

1,405 km away

The Danish of Greenland, co-official with Kalaallisut. Used widely in administration and education; carries some contact features from Kalaallisut.

Irish

1,415 km away

A Goidelic Celtic language and the first official language of Ireland. Daily-spoken communities (the Gaeltachtaí) survive in pockets along the western seaboard, around Galway, Donegal, and Kerry.

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