Icelandic is one of the few languages in the world that has changed very little in over 1,000 years. People in Iceland today can still read the original Viking sagas written in the Middle Ages almost as easily as if they were written yesterday. This makes Icelandic a living bridge between the modern world and ancient Norse history. A study in the Journal of Scandinavian Linguistics explains that Icelandic comes from Old Norse, the language spoken by the Vikings who settled in Iceland in the 9th century. While the language has evolved slightly in sound and usage, it has kept most of its old grammar, words, and sentence patterns. Its isolation as an island helped protect it from outside influence. Why Icelandic Stayed the Same: Geographic Isolation. Living far from other countries helped protect the language from outside changes. Strong Cultural Pride. Icelanders value their language deeply and avoid using too many foreign words. Language Preservation. Institutions like the Árni Mag...