# Ask the Icelandic dude **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 8, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629 "2008-09-08T16:31:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/201 "2008-09-11T14:48:11Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Well that’s one reason not to teach kids a language. A bad one, but one. > > Neiðin kennir naktri konu að spinna. > > Yup - that’s quite correct. And it has the same meaning 🙂 Is that knit or spin? Can you directly translate the words please. Takk fyrir. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/202 "2008-09-11T15:10:16Z")
The University of Manitoba has a [Department of Icelandic Language and Literature](http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/departments/icelandic/). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/203 "2008-09-11T15:30:11Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Þ, p, th > > Eiður smári… > > Oh and a nitpick: > > Accents, not apostrophes. Thanks for the correction, accent it is. The reason for him not being Arnórsson is because Guðjohnsen is not a patronym. It’s a Danish last name. Some people have old family names (mostly danish ones) and they get to keep them. People still keep their own names when they get married though. And the Þ = P is wrong. The reason for it, should be as you thought, that the letters look similar. But it should be a T or even better a Th ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/204 "2008-09-11T15:31:13Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > Is that knit or spin? Can you directly translate the words please. Takk fyrir. Need teaches a naked woman to spin. Og það var ekkert. > [@Sunspace](#): > > The University of Manitoba has a [Department of Icelandic Language and Literature](http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/departments/icelandic/). 🙂 It’s about to set new records in applications after this thread, right 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/205 "2008-09-11T16:08:58Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > It’s about to set new records in applications after this thread, right 🙂 I’d consider going there–Manitoba is only the next province over–but it’s around 2000 km away. If I was going to go that far, I might as well keep going and go to Iceland itself. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/206 "2008-09-11T16:14:57Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I’d consider going there–Manitoba is only the next province over–but it’s around 2000 km away. If I was going to go that far, I might as well keep going and go to Iceland itself. Next province over, 2000 km away? Shit, that’s far! The road around entire Iceland is only 1600 km 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/207 "2008-09-11T16:22:37Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Next province over, 2000 km away? Shit, that’s far! The road around entire Iceland is only 1600 km 🙂 Well, that’s the distance between the city of Winnipeg and the city of Toronto. Google Maps gives a driving distance of 2088 km if you go through Thunder Bay. Still, that’s nothing. My friends are driving back to Toronto from the Peace River country in northern BC, and Winnipeg is their halfway point. They’ll have put 8,000 km on the old Honda this month, there and back. And my stepfather took my mom on a holiday during her last summer, Toronto-San Francisco-Vancouver-Toronto, and that was 12,000 km. You guys have history; we have geography. Lots and lots and _lots_ of geography. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/208 "2008-09-11T16:27:32Z")
What is Iceland doing today in honor of 9/11? And could you share your story of 9/11/2001. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/209 "2008-09-11T16:29:50Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Well, that’s the distance between the city of Winnipeg and the city of Toronto. Google Maps gives a driving distance of 2088 km if you go through Thunder Bay. > > […] > > You guys have history; we have geography. Lots and lots and _lots_ of geography. Yeah, that’s for sure. And I think it’s kinda far to visit my aunt who lives 50 km away… You guys are aware of an invention called the Aeroplane - google the Wright-brothers and something might show 😉 Just wow - far. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/210 "2008-09-11T16:33:24Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > You guys are aware of an invention called the Aeroplane - google the Wright-brothers and something might show 😉 [Yeah, we kinda know something about it.](http://www.bushplane.com/bushplane.lasso) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/211 "2008-09-11T16:40:18Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > What is Iceland doing today in honor of 9/11? Nothing, that I’m aware of. I just realised it was today when a co-worker shouted out over the office that it was 9/11 today. No offence meant, but should we (as in Iceland) commemorate it? It was a horrible thing that happened, but it happened in another country. Everybody will always remember what they did that day and nobody will forget what happened, but I believe organised Commemorations should be saved for those it happened to. [QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] And could you share your story of 9/11/2001. [/QUOTE] Nothing special I’m afraid. Was going to work (worked customer-support at a bank at the time) and everyone was crowded around one computer, repeatedly pressing F4 to get new news. Once I got off, I went to a friends place and spent the rest of the evening in front of the TV. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/212 "2008-09-11T16:41:46Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > [Yeah, we kinda know something about it.](http://www.bushplane.com/bushplane.lasso) 🙂 Cool! I totally wanna fly in one of those! (and you know, you’re doing a pretty good job of convincing me to want to visit Canada 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/213 "2008-09-11T16:58:17Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Cool! I totally wanna fly in one of those! > > (and you know, you’re doing a pretty good job of convincing me to want to visit Canada 😉 ) Well, it is [the Beautiful Land](http://www.ontarioparks.com/ENGLISH/lakes.html)… That link is to Lake Superior Provincial Park, north of the city of Sault Ste. Marie (where the bushplane museum is). Stunningly-beautiful. Granite cliffs dropping sheer into the water… One time I visited the bushplane museum when I went to visit my sister, who lives in Sault Ste. Marie. It’s really quite interesting. The city is about an hour and a half away from Toronto by Air Canada (or a wretched 11-hour ride on the bus, or 6-8 hours driving. 680 km.). We might be able to trade visits. I can go to Iceland, meet and marry a beautiful Icelandic women, then you can come here and meet and marry a beautiful Canadian. Unless you’re already married, of course. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/214 "2008-09-11T17:02:20Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > We might be able to trade visits. I can go to Iceland, meet and marry a beautiful Icelandic women, then you can come here and meet and marry a beautiful Canadian. Unless you’re already married, of course. Works for me - as I’m not married and single at the moment. Considering how I work I’d probably run into a girl of Icelandic origin and marry her… that wouldn’t be all that bad though. So how about [her](http://www.ruggedelegantliving.com/a/images/2005.Miss.World.Iceland.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/215 "2008-09-11T18:08:04Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > The main rule is that Ð is always in the middle of a word and Þ in the beginning. I’d say the Þ is a **thus** and the ð is **although**. I’m really not comfortable diving to much into grammar-discussions as my knowledge is pretty much based in instinct. Þ is used for “hard” -th sounds, like Thor and “thing”. ð is more commonly used when the -th is “soft”, like in “father” and “nether”. It gets sticky to try and explain how it works with English words because English words don’t have a hard-and-fast “sound” rule that Icelandic does. > [@](#): > > Yeah - worth telling ya’ll is that Icelandair offers you to take a night or two in Reykjavik on their transatlantic flights, without any extra hassle. I have to admit that the only downside to this deal is that, IMO, “a night or two” is not enough to show people around Iceland, even during the winter. If **Acid Lamp** and I can afford to go for our honeymoon to Iceland, we’re going to spend at least two weeks in the summer traveling around. There’s a lot to see, a lot to eat (mmmm, puffin, lamb, etc. :)), and I’ve got relatives and family friends who’ll want us to spend at least a few hours visiting with them. If you’re interested in meeting girls who are a generation or two away from Iceland, there’s also a good chunk of the Pacific Northwest region of North America; there are tons of Scandinavian/Icelandic descent in that region from what I hear. That, the culture, the climate and the really awesome libraries in the region are part of why I want to move out that way. > [@WormTheRed](#): > > So how about her? I’d do her. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/216 "2008-09-11T18:16:05Z")
> [@nashiitashii](#): > > I have to admit that the only downside to this deal is that, IMO, “a night or two” is not enough to show people around Iceland, even during the winter. If **Acid Lamp** and I can afford to go for our honeymoon to Iceland, we’re going to spend at least two weeks in the summer traveling around. There’s a lot to see, a lot to eat (mmmm, puffin, lamb, etc. :)), and I’ve got relatives and family friends who’ll want us to spend at least a few hours visiting with them. Yup - there’s no way you can see it all in just a day or two. But at least you get to say you’ve been in Iceland 😉 [QUOTE=nashiitashii] If you’re interested in meeting girls who are a generation or two away from Iceland, there’s also a good chunk of the Pacific Northwest region of North America; there are tons of Scandinavian/Icelandic descent in that region from what I hear. That, the culture, the climate and the really awesome libraries in the region are part of why I want to move out that way. [/QUOTE] What I meant was that I’d go to meet fascinating exotic women from loads of different cultures - but end up falling for one that reminds me of home 😉 ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/217 "2008-09-11T18:21:18Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > What I meant was that I’d go to meet fascinating exotic women from loads of different cultures - but end up falling for one that reminds me of home 😉 :smack: Oh. Oops! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/218 "2008-09-11T18:57:55Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > So how about [her](http://www.ruggedelegantliving.com/a/images/2005.Miss.World.Iceland.jpg)? I went across the road to the other building just now and I was thinking about Icelandic women and not looking where I was going and almost got run over. This is all _your_ fault. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/219 "2008-09-11T19:04:40Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > What is Iceland doing today in honor of 9/11? And could you share your story of 9/11/2001. The same thing they do for the Fourth of July, I should imagine. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629/220 "2008-09-11T19:46:05Z")
> [@nashiitashii](#): > > Þ is used for “hard” -th sounds, like Thor and “thing”. ð is more commonly used when the -th is “soft”, like in “father” and “nether”. It gets sticky to try and explain how it works with English words because English words don’t have a hard-and-fast “sound” rule that Icelandic does. So it differentiates between the voiced TH sound (your “soft TH”) and the unvoiced TH (your “hard TH”) as I thought? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-icelandic-dude/462629.md?page=12)