jökull
[ˈjœːkʏtl̥]masculine
The English word glacier is jökull in Icelandic. Wiktionary also lists ísbreiða.
Meaning: a large body of ice which flows under its own mass, usually downhill (noun)
Ways to say it
| Icelandic | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| jökull | [ˈjœːkʏtl̥] (narrow) | masculine |
| ísbreiða | feminine |
jökull is the standard term used in both daily speech and geography to describe a glacier.
What does it mean word for word?
The word jökull is derived from the Old Norse word for glacier.
Which one should you use?
While jökull refers to a glacier as a geological feature, ísbreiða literally means 'ice expanse' and is often used to describe a wide, continuous sheet of ice.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The name Langjökull refers to a glacier located in the west of Iceland and translates to 'long glacier'.
How does it change in a sentence?
jökull is a masculine noun. Its plural form is jöklar. To indicate possession or a relationship, use the genitive singular form jökuls, as seen in the word jökulsins (the glacier's).
Did you know?
- The word jökull is a diminutive of the Old Norse word jaki, which refers to a small piece of broken ice.
- While jökull describes the glacier itself, the word jökulhlaup is used to describe a specific, violent type of glacial outburst flood common in Iceland.
- The word jaki, the distant relative of jökull, is still used in modern Icelandic to refer to broken pieces of ice floating in the water.
Examples in context
- Jöklarnir á Íslandi eru eins og smá himnaríki á jörðinni.The glaciers in Iceland are like little pieces of heaven on Earth.
- Vatnajökull er stór jökull.Vatnajökull is a large glacier.
Example conversation
Ólafur and Kristín are looking at a map of Iceland.
- ÓlafurSjáðu, hér er einn stór jökull.Look, here is one big glacier.
- KristínEr hann langt frá því þar sem við býum?Is it far from where we live?
- ÓlafurJá, það tekur tíma að keyra þangað.Yes, it takes time to drive there.
- KristínÉg vil gjarna sjá þennan jökull.I would really like to see this glacier.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “glacier” translations and entries jökull, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jökull, CC BY-SA 4.0.
