Icelandic Language Day is on Sunday – Choose your word

Icelandic Language Day will be celebrated on 16 November this year for the thirtieth time. The aim of the day is to remind us all of the importance of the Icelandic language, and to rejoice and celebrate the history, present and future of the language. The day is celebrated on the birthday of Jónas Hallgrímsson (1807-1845), a poet and naturalist who was a prolific coinventor of new Icelandic words. His sensitivity and respect for the language enabled him to express his own and others' thoughts in such a way that new words and new compounds for things or ideas, which had not previously existed in Icelandic, seem familiar and as if they have always been a part of the language. Jónas Hallgrímsson's coinages are numerous, and examples include words such as: næturkyrrð, páfagaukur, tígulkóngur, þjóðareign, æðakerfi, líffæri, aðdráttarafl, dalalíf, geislabaugur and lambasteik!

We at Mímir are celebrating Icelandic Language Day by choosing our favourite word. Choose your word – whether it's beautiful, funny, old or new – and tell us why it matters to you. Share video with your word on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #Intermediate #Day of the Icelandic language, Tag Mími and take part in showcasing the diversity and beauty of Icelandic. By taking part, you give Mímir permission to share the content further on social media and to contact you for a possible interview.

Everyone who takes part has the chance to win a course from Mími, free of charge! You can choose your word and share it with us until 16 November. See more here.