Additional information
by Helga Helmisdottir (Author)
The most up-to-date two-way Icelandic dictionary available, from the author of popular textbook Beginner's Icelandic
Icelandic is a North-Germanic language related to Norwegian, Danish and Swedish. The language can be traced back to Old Norse brought by settlers from Norway in the 9th and 10th centuries. Old Norse is the language of the Icelandic Sagas and these works from the Middle ages can be read by Icelandic speakers today with little difficulty as the written language has not changed drastically over the centuries.
Ideal for businesspeople, travelers, and students, this dictionary features:
- Over 18,000 word-to-word entries, including common words as well as technical, legal, business and locally-specific terms (such as cities, foods, and cultural terms)
- Guides to the Icelandic alphabet and pronunciation
- Practical usage guide which outlines the parts of speech
Due in large part to Iceland's isolation and remote location, the linguistic changes that occurred in other Scandinavian languages are not seen in Icelandic, which still has complicated grammar systems such as four cases for nouns and three genders (male, female, and neuter). The Icelandic literary tradition is a large part of the nation's culture and understanding the language is a necessity to learning more about Iceland.
Author Biography
Helga Hilmisdóttir received her PhD from the University of Helsinki in Finland, and taught Icelandic there as an associate professor for eight years. She is co-author of Beginner's Icelandic with 2 Audio CDs, also published by Hippocrene Books. She currently resides in Reykjavik, Iceland.
