"Icelandic": Language and Demonym
Icelandic (íslenska) means:
- Adjective: Of or relating to Iceland, its people, or culture.
- Noun (language): The North Germanic language spoken in Iceland (~370,000 speakers). Closest living relative: Faroese; together they form the Insular Nordic branch. Conservative grammar (four cases, three genders, complex inflection) preserves Old Norse features lost in Norwegian/Swedish/Danish.
- Noun (person): A native or citizen of Iceland.
Language policy: Árni Magnússon Institute maintains purity (neologisms from roots, not loans). Mandatory in schools; official in all domains.