The Icelandic language has changed very little since the 9th century. Like other Scandinavian languages, it is descended from Old Norse. However, due to Iceland’s isolation from mainland Europe, it has rarely deviated from its origins. Modern Icelanders can actually read ancient texts and artifacts without needing special training.

There are 24 standard letters in the Icelandic alphabet, and the letter Z was officially removed in 1973.

Iceland has a government system that does not allow unique or foreign baby names. All names must conform to the rules of the Icelandic language.

Icelandic includes masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns—just like German, Latin, and Old English.

The language is highly resistant to loanwords. When loanwords do appear, they are usually from Danish. Many Icelanders actively oppose the adoption of English terms, preferring instead to create new words organically—especially for modern or technological concepts.

The letter R in Icelandic is rolled, much like the double R in Spanish.

Iceland has the highest number of books published per capita in the world, Icelandic is obviously the most common language in which books are printed there.

Virtually all immigrants to Iceland are expected to learn the language, even though many Icelanders also speak English.

Because Iceland is a small and sparsely populated country, the Icelandic language doesn’t have any distinct dialects. The few noticeable variations are typically found in people living in very remote areas.

Icelandic has far more words for winter weather than most other languages.

There are over 100 forms of verb conjugation in Icelandic, and even the mood and voice of a sentence can affect the grammar.

There is also a version of Braille in Icelandic, allowing blind Icelanders to read books in their native language.