Relating to Iceland, its people, or their language. As a noun, refers to the North Germanic language spoken in Iceland, known for its conservative grammar and vocabulary.
From Iceland + -ic suffix. Iceland itself comes from Old Norse Ísland, literally 'ice land.' The Icelandic language has remained remarkably unchanged since medieval times, making it the most conservative of the Scandinavian languages.
Modern Icelandic is so similar to Old Norse that Icelanders can read 800-year-old sagas with relative ease, making it a living window into medieval Scandinavian culture. The language actively creates new words for modern concepts rather than borrowing from other languages, resulting in uniquely creative terms like 'tölva' (computer), literally meaning 'number prophetess.'
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