#17: Útlenska

If you encounter an Icelandic noun that ends in -(n)ska, it's a decently safe bet that it refers to some kind of language. In addition to popping up in íslenska and enska, it also appears in words like danska, spænska, hebreska, finnska, kínverska (Chinese), þyska (German), and even klingonska. That's because it's a suffix much like the -ese in "Japanese" or the -ish in "Swedish." Of course, there are exceptions (such as latína, úrdú, and norræna [Old Norse]), but they are relatively rare. And, floating in this sea of -(n)ska words there is also útlenska, the Icelandic term for "foreign language." But perhaps a more accurate translation would be something like "Foreignese."

Útlenska is formed by adding the -nska suffix to the adverb út (out). Basically, refers to any "outside language," i.e. one that's not íslenska. In English, "foreign language" to conveys the same idea, but útlenska functions somewhat differently. You can say "I speak Russian" or "I speak Korean" in English, but you can't say "I speak Foreign." In Icelandic, though, you can-- ég tala útlensku is just as valid as ég tala rússnesku/kóresku. However, unlike the English term, útlenska can't be used to talk about foreign languages as a general concept. In other words, you can't use it to say something like "foreign languages are cool" or "I want to learn more foreign languages." This is because it's exclusively used in an adverbial fashion to describe the language someone is speaking, reading, or writing in. That's why I think "Foreignese" is a better translation. To talk about foreign languages more generally, you need to use the word for language, tungumál (or just mál).

The Mur je t’amie (I Love You Wall) in Paris contains 311 foreign languages. Can you find the Icelandic phrase ("ég elska þig")?

As I noted earlier, all of these -(n)ska words, including útlenska, are nouns. Most of them are derived from  corresponding adjectives of nationality; thus færeyska is the Faroese language (Icelandic's closest relative), but færeyskur is the adjective to describe other Faroese things like people, places, and food. Útlenska is a bit of an exception in this regard; the adjective útlenskur does exist but the more common alternative is útlendur (foreign), from whence the noun útlendingur (foreigner) is also derived.

WORD SUMMARY:

útlensk/a, -u (f): foreign language

Posted in: Languages, Nouns, Suffixes