Language

Icelandic, a North Germanic language descended from Old Norse, is the country's official written and spoken language. It has changed less from Old Norse in grammar and vocabulary than the other Nordic languages; Icelandic has preserved more verb and noun inflection, and has developed new vocabulary based on native roots rather than borrowings from other languages. The puristic tendency in Icelandic vocabulary development is due, in large part, to conscious language planning, as well as centuries of isolation. Icelandic is the only living language that still employs the runic letter in Latin script. Faroese is the Icelandic language's closest living relative.

In 2011, Icelandic Sign Language was officially recognized as a minority language. The National Curriculum Guide governs its use in education for Iceland's deaf community. English and Danish are both required subjects in school. English is widely understood and spoken, whereas basic to moderate Danish knowledge is prevalent primarily among the older generations. Polish is mostly spoken by the local Polish community (Iceland's largest minority), and Danish is mostly spoken in a way that Swedes and Norwegians can understand—it is often referred to as skandinavska (i.e. Scandinavian) in Iceland.