The name for Iceland in Icelandic is Ísland. This word is derived from Old Norse, where ‘ís’ means ‘ice’ and ‘land’ means ‘land’. Therefore, the name essentially translates to ‘the land of ice’.
In Icelandic pronunciation, the ‘Í’ has a long vowel sound, similar to the ‘ee’ in ‘see’. The ‘s’ is pronounced clearly, and the ‘land’ follows as in English. The historical name reflects the country’s dramatic and often icy landscape, which is a defining characteristic. So next time you refer to this beautiful Nordic island, you can confidently call it Ísland!