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Viking Langauge

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  • 27-11-2004 5:37pm
    #1
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,300 ✭✭✭✭


    Having always had a interest in Vikings, and Viking history, I was wondering is the language hard to learn, or is there any books on it? Also, did Vikings write much, and if so, are there any books around of Viking literature?

    Any help would be appreciated.

    [edit]
    I note that Icelandic is derived from the Viking era, but I'm worried that it may make the translations from any Viking literature harder, such as me trying to read "olde english". If this is not the case, I'd like to learn the Icelandic language, but would prefer the Viking language.
    [/edit]


Comments

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    #2
    drrnwbb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 421 ✭✭drrnwbb


    well, what i know about icelandic (which isnt very much) is that it is very similar to old norse, and modern icelandic is virtually the same now as it was a thousand years ago. this makes the reading of the ancient icelandic sagas pretty straightforward for icelandic people.

    dw


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    #3
    markisevil
    Closed Accounts Posts: 45 ✭markisevil


    I don't know if the language the Vikings spoke is taught anywhere (or even if it was just one language), but Icelandic is as close to the language the Icelandic Vikings spoke as you can get. Remember that "Viking" (raiding) is just what some Norsemen did, it's not a nationality...


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    #4
    naitkris
    Closed Accounts Posts: 660 ✭✭✭naitkris


    yeah Icelandic is relatively unchanged for 100's if not thousands of years and is the closet to the Viking language you'll get today with Norwegian, Danish and Swedish following - although those three languages have changed so much compared to Icelandic however - a lot of foreign words have cropped into the languages (i.e. from German, English etc.)

    apparently though it wouldn't be too hard for myself as a Swede to start learning the old Viking language, so i'm told...


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    #5
    Ahnjo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭Ahnjo


    Hi!
    Viking language has died out... but Icelandic is a close releative...
    I'm norwegian, Icelandic is infact "Old-Norwegian"... Norwegian settlers sailed to Iceland in year 1000 or somethin' Then the settlers didn't learn the new words here in Norway, so their language have been untouched in a long time now.


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