# Errr.. does anyone speak Icelandic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 22, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016 "2009-04-22T20:39:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/21 "2009-04-23T03:47:07Z")
> [@Rysdad](#): > > I’m not sure why, but reading this line floored me. Yup. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/22 "2009-04-23T14:31:17Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Beautiful. Put a stamp on that sucker and send ’er off. Seconded. Such a letter just has to be sent. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/23 "2009-04-23T14:32:47Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Yndi Hótel : ÉG er mjög hryggur fyrir having troðningur einn af þinn ungur áll og þinn handklæði. ÉG er fiskflak með skömm og samviskubit. Þú vilja vera glaður til vita þessi ÉG póstlagður the lík ( umbúðir í handklæði með þinn nafnplata ) til vísindamaður á the Smithsonian Stofnun. Síðan þeir okrari frá the eigur , ÉG hafa flutningamiðlari þinn bréf til þá ; ÉG er viss þeir vilja gefa eftir þú the $105 mjög bráðum. Þinn , bros stigamaður > > Word for word that would mean: > > Loving hotel. I am most sad for having stampede one of your young aluminum and your towel. I am a fish filet with shame and guilty conscience. You want to be happy to know that I posted the dead body (packing in towel with your nameplate) to scientist at the Smithsonian Institute. Then they “corrupted” (okrari) from us the ownership. I have transport agent your letter to them. I am sure they will give in you the $105 very soon. Yours smile highwayman (aka smiling bandit) I think this is the first time I’ve seen an online translator whose main problem seems to be a poor understanding of English. I mean, it can’t translate “the” and thinks “filled” should be translated to “fish filet”.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Goosey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/0ea827/32.png) [@Goosey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goosey)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/24 "2009-04-24T00:50:28Z")
> [@naita](#): > > I think this is the first time I’ve seen an online translator whose main problem seems to be a poor understanding of English. I mean, it can’t translate “the” and thinks “filled” should be translated to “fish filet”.😃 Well, ‘the’ is pretty complex in Icelandic, where sometimes it’s a separate word, and sometimes it’s a suffix to the noun. And when it’s a separate word (_hinn_), it can either mean ‘the’ or “the other”, depending on the context. And ‘filet’ is French. The English word is ‘fillet’. Which is… um… only one letter away from ‘filled’? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/25 "2009-04-24T01:54:35Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Seconded. Such a letter just has to be sent. Thirded. It reads like a Nigerian elf scam. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/26 "2009-04-24T01:58:44Z")
I have a native speaker handy. Post the letter here and he will translate for you. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/27 "2009-04-24T11:46:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I am a fish filet with shame and guilty conscience Arise, all, and bow to the new god of comedy( even if it is only a dictionary-bot) [obligatory reference to you-know-who] for this even surpasses “my hovercraft is full of eels” [/obligatory reference to Monty Pthon] > [@](#): > > And ‘filet’ is French. The English word is ‘fillet’. Which is… um… only one letter away from ‘filled’ okay, so let’s allow for a minor mistake…but I still don’t get why the software translated it as a **fish** filet. Why not filet mignon? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![svrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@svrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/svrider)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/28 "2009-04-24T13:00:01Z")
I think this is one of the few times I have actually laughed out loud in my office. As a dane I understood a bit of the Icelandish, but wondered what fiskflak meant. Now I know. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/29 "2009-04-24T14:07:49Z")
I never make one-sentence or “me too” posts (heck, I rarely post at all, obviously), but I just had to thank **WormTheRed** and the other participants in the double-translation - it is the funniest thing I’ve read all week. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/30 "2009-04-24T14:30:31Z")
And how did it translate “elf” as “aluminum”? Elf is a word that comes directly from Norse. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/31 "2009-04-24T16:54:52Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > I am a fish filet with shame and guilty conscience. This, ladies and gentlemen, is our SDMB celebrity test. _Anyone_ ever drops this line in any form of mass media whatsoever, they have positively identified themselves as a Doper. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/32 "2009-04-24T17:39:52Z")
I don’t have the letter, but here is the relevant info on the “bill” Innheimta Gjadalgi 06.04.2009 (the date?) Viðtakandi Sofnunarsjoður lifeyrisrttinda Borgartuni 29 105 Reykjavik- 5 (address) Simi: 510 - 7400 Fax: 510-7401 (ok, I understood this) Sunderliðun greiðslu 4% framlag laun\*ega 26.767 (\*letter that looks like lowercase b and p stuck togeher; it won’t display even when copying and pasting) 8% framlag atvinnurekanda 53.535 Vextir 26.709 Kostnaður 2.409 Samtals 109.420 Vangreidd Lifeyrissjoðsiðgjold 2007 I ljos hefur komið að ekki hafa verið greidd lifeyriðgjold i samr\*mi (Sam Raimi!) við skattskyldar tekjur arið 2007. Vinsamlegast greiðið sem fryst. Hjalagt fylgja nanari upplysingar. \*letter a-e, that won’t copy and paster either (:mad:) I don’t know why, but my computer has suddenly gone on the fritz. I can’t seem to get accents or some special characters working. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/33 "2009-04-24T18:21:23Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > And how did it translate “elf” as “aluminum”? Elf is a word that comes directly from Norse. This is a very natural sort of confusion. Not many people know that around 400 years ago Norwegian elves specialized in the production of aluminum (remains recognizable as primitive beer cans are still occasionally found near the ancient elvish mines south of Akureyri) and have thus become closely associated with it in mythology. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/34 "2009-04-24T18:29:40Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > (\*letter that looks like lowercase b and p stuck togeher; it won’t display even when copying and pasting) That’s a thorn: þ. It’s the hard th sound in “thin”. The other is eth: ð. That’s the soft th sound in “this”. The a-e ligature can be transcribed as (you guessed it) ae. I’m still pissed at those middle english scribes who thought they could get rid of eth and thorn. Assholes. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/35 "2009-04-24T23:01:32Z")
I’ll PM the translation to you. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/36 "2009-04-24T23:12:15Z")
I’m just glad you guys appreciated the effort I put into the first very hard translation 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/37 "2009-04-24T23:25:05Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > I’ll PM the translation to you. It’s porno, isn’t it 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/38 "2009-04-24T23:27:33Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > It’s porno, isn’t it 😃 Nope. But it probably would be if Dr. Drake were to translate it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/39 "2009-04-24T23:52:35Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > I’ll PM the translation to you. You can’t leave us in suspense. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016/40 "2009-04-25T02:52:09Z")
> [@](#): > > And how did it translate “elf” as “aluminum”? Elf is a word that comes directly from Norse. It’s the 21st century. Nobody uses wooden elves anymore. Modern elves are made out of aluminum or plastics. In fact, Iceland is currently researching the use of composite carbonfibers in the next generation of elves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/errr-does-anyone-speak-icelandic/494016.md?page=3)