But speaking of indescribable things that are hard to put into words, we have to talk about the Icelandic language. It sounds lyrical from a native Icelander, but my attempts at pronunciation and even trying to sound out the words phonetically in my head were totally abysmal.
Why does it matter? Because many of Iceland’s natural wonders and cities are composite words of the Icelandic language, meaning they have a prefix or suffix that describes what the place is.
Yes, every Icelander I met spoke English, but if you’re looking at signs on the road, a map, or your phone hoping to spontaneously stop at a unique spot or get off the beaten path, you’re not going to be able to discern what you may be heading toward based on your 9th grade romance language prowess. And if you’re road tripping in Iceland, you can’t count on cell service to bail you out.
According to the official Visit Iceland website, “The Icelandic language is a dialect of Old Norse: the pan-Scandinavian language at the time of Iceland’s settlement 1,150 years ago. But this common Norse tongue evolved into Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish over the centuries as local Kings tightened their grip – or lost an invasion. The Icelanders, meanwhile, kept the language alive by penning stories known as the Sagas of Icelanders.”
Heading into the unknown is fun, but if want to pick and choose what kind of unknown you’re heading into, one of my best Iceland travel tips is to bring this simple cheat sheet with you!
Learn these 11 Icelandic words before your Iceland road trip
If you’re visiting Iceland, be sure to check out some of my other helpful Iceland content, like:
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