Introduction to the Icelandic language - François Heenen
1PM - 3:30 PM
Icelandic phonetics: Icelandic is one of the world languages with the fewest voiced consonants. For example, it has no [z] or [ʒ] sounds in its phonetic system, nor any voiced occluders, but on the other hand it is full of words with nasals, laterals or muted vibrants. To familiarise ourselves with these strange sounds, we're going to listen to a children's story in Icelandic and transcribe the words phonetically with the help of the API.
Icelandic morphology and syntax:
No other Germanic language has preserved the remnants of Indo-European declensions and conjugations as well as Icelandic.
To see just how clearly these formal variations in words can be heard in the spoken language, let's practise asking and answering questions in Icelandic, with the help of a small glossary and tables of declensions.
