Icelandic exonyms
Exonym nouns in Icelandic language
The following is a list of Icelandic exonyms, that is to say names for places in Icelandic that have been adapted to Icelandic spelling rules, translated into Icelandic, or Old Norse exonyms surviving in Icelandic. Commonly pronunciation is close to in English (or native), even though not stated below, but also commonly completely different, more common if names look very different or for European/Nordic places.
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008) |
Language | Native name | Icelandic exonym |
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Albanian | Tiranë | Tirana |
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Persian – Pashto | Kābul – Kabəl | Kabúl |
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Arabic | Al-Ŷazā'ir | Algeirsborg |
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Armenian | Yerevan | Jerevan |
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Portuguese | Luanda | Lúanda |
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Spanish | Tierra del Fuego | Eldland |
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German | Wien | Vín or Vínarborg |
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English | New South Wales | Nýja Suður-Wales |
South Australia | Suður-Ástralía | |
Western Australia | Vestur-Ástralía | |
Australian Capital Territory | Höfuðborgarsvæði Ástralíu | |
Northern Territory | Norður-svæðið | |
Christmas Island | Jólaeyja | |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands | Kókoseyjar | |
Norfolk Island | Norfolkeyjar | |
Heard Island and McDonald Islands | Heard og McDonaldseyjar | |
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Azerbaijani | Bakı | Bakú |
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English | Nassau | Nassá |
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Belarusian | Polotsk | Palteskja (historical), Hvíta-Rússland (historical), Belarús (current)[1] |
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English | Belmopan | Belmópan |
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Dzongkha | Thimphu | Timfú |
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Spanish – Quechua | Sucre – Chuqichaka | Súkre |
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Bosnian | Sarajevo | Sarajevó |
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English – Tswana | Gaborone | Gaboróne |
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Portuguese | Brasília | Brasilía |
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Burmese | Yangon | Jangún |
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French | Bujumbura | Bújúmbúra |
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French – English | Douala | Dóúala |
Yaoundé | Jánde | |
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English – French | Toronto | Torontó |
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French | Bangui | Bangví |
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Spanish | Rapa Nui | Páskaeyja |
Santiago | Santíagó | |
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Mandarin (pinyin Romanization) | Beijing | Peking (sometimes written and read Beijing; Peking reads a bit differently)[2] |
Shanghai | Sjanghæ (reads like in English) | |
Tianjin | Tientsin | |
Qingdao | Tsingtao | |
Nanjing | Nanking | |
Xiamen | Amoy | |
Guilin | Kweilin | |
Guangzhou | Kanton | |
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Portuguese – Cantonese | Macau | Makaó |
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Mandarin (pinyin Romanization) | Táiběi | Taípei, Tæpei |
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Spanish | Bogotá | Bógóta |
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Māori – English | Avarua | Avarúa |
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Greek – Turkish | Lefkosía – Lefkoşa | Nikósía |
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Czech | Plzeň | Pilsen |
Praha | Prag | |
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Danish | Aalborg | Álaborg |
Aarhus | Árósar[3] | |
Helsingør | Helsingjaeyri | |
Falster | Falstur | |
Fredrikshavn | Friðrikshöfn | |
Fyn | Fjón | |
Humlebæk | Humlabekk (little used) | |
Jelling | Jalangur | |
Jylland | Jótland | |
København (Copenhagen) | Kaupmannahöfn[3] | |
Lolland | Láland | |
Læsø | Hlésey | |
Odense | Óðinsvé[3] | |
Ribe | Rípar | |
Ringsted | Hringstað | |
Roskilde | Hróarskelda | |
Silkeborg | Silkiborg | |
Sjælland | Sjáland | |
Skagen | Skaginn | |
Slagelse | Slagleysa | |
Sorø | Sórey | |
Viborg | Vébjörg | |
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Spanish | Santo Domingo | Santó Dómingó |
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Arabic | Al-Iskandariyya | Alexandría |
Qāhirah | Kaíró | |
Suways | Súes | |
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French – Spanish | Malabo | Malabó |
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Amharic | Adis Abäba | Addis Ababa |
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Faroese | Borðoy | Borðey |
Eysturoy | Austurey | |
Fuglafjørður | Fuglafjörður | |
Fugloy | Fugley | |
Gásadalur | Gæsadalur | |
Kalsoy | Karlsey | |
Kirkjubøur | Kirkjubær | |
Klaksvík | Klakksvík | |
Kollafjørður | Kollafjörður | |
Kunoy | Konuey | |
Miðvágur | Miðvogur | |
Nólsoy | Nólsey | |
Sandavágur | Sandavogur | |
Sandoy | Sandey | |
Streymoy | Straumey | |
Suðuroy | Suðurey | |
Svínoy | Svíney | |
Toftir | Tóftir | |
Tórshavn | Þórshöfn | |
Tvøroyri | Þvereyri | |
Vágar | Vogar, Vogey | |
Vágur | Vogur | |
Viðoy | Viðey | |
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Finnish – Swedish | Turku – Åbo | Árbæ |
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French | Bretagne | Bretanía (current), Bretonskagi, Litla-Bretland, Bertangaland (obsolete), Bretland (obsolete) |
Bourgogne | Búrgund | |
Corse | Korsíka | |
Nantes | Namsborg (obsolete) | |
Normandy | Norðmandí (obsolete), Normandí (current) | |
Paris | París | |
Poitiers | Peituborg | |
Reims | Reimsborg | |
Rouen | Rúðuborg | |
Strasbourg | Strassborg | |
Versailles | Versalir | |
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Tahitian – French | 'Enana mā | Markesaseyjar |
Tōtaiete mā | Félagseyjar | |
Tahiti | Tahítí | |
Tūāmotu mā | Lágeyjar (obsolete) | |
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English | Accra | Akkra |
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Georgian | Tbi'lisi | Tíblisi (Tíflis in common parlance) |
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German | Berlin | Berlín |
Bavaria | Bæjaraland | |
Braunschweig | Brúnsvík (obsolete) | |
Bremen | Brimar | |
Flensburg | Flensborg | |
Frankfurt | Frakkafurða (little used) | |
Hamburg | Hamborg | |
Haddeby | Heiðabær | |
Holstein | Holtsetaland | |
Kiel | Kíl | |
Köln (Cologne) | Kolni (little used), Köln (current) | |
Lübeck | Lýbika | |
Oldenburg | Aldinborg | |
Rostock | Rauðstokkur (obsolete) | |
Schleswig | Slésvík | |
Stralsund | Stræla | |
Stuttgart | Stóðgarður (little used) | |
Verden | Ferðuborg (obsolete) | |
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Greek | Athína | Aþena |
Límnos | Lemney | |
Thessaloníki | Saloníka (obsolete), Þessalónika (current) | |
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French | Conakry | Kónakrí |
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Spanish | Ciudad de Guatemala | Gvatemalaborg |
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Portuguese | Bissau | Bissá (reads like in English) |
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Hungarian | Budapest | Búdapest |
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Hindi – English | Kolkata | Kalkútta (obsolete) |
Naī Dillī – New Delhi | Nýja-Delí | |
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Indonesian | DKI Jakarta | Djakarta |
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Persian | Tehrān | Teheran |
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Arabic – Kurdish | Baġdād – Bexda | Bagdað (or which reads almost the same) |
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Irish | Áth Cliath/Dubhlinn (Dublin) | Dyflinn(i) |
Luimneach (Limerick) | Hlymrek (obsolete) | |
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Hebrew – Arabic | Yerushaláyim – al Quds | Jórsalaborg (obsolete), Jerúsalem (current) |
Ḥeifa – Ḥayfā | Haífa | |
Tel Aviv-Yafo – Tal ʼAbīb | Tel Avív | |
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Italian | Bari | Bár (obsolete) |
Firenze | Flórens | |
Genova | Genúa | |
Lucca | Lukkuborg (obsolete) | |
Milano | Meilansborg (obsolete), Mílanó (current) | |
Napoli | Napólí | |
Roma | Róm, Rómaborg (both are commonly and, additionally Rómarborg, which is an incorrect spelling,[4] with extra r before the ending -borg, which means city). | |
Salerno | Salernisborg (rare) | |
Torino | Tórínó | |
Venezia | Feneyjar | |
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Japanese | Kyōto-shi | Kýótó |
Tōkyō | Tókýó | |
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English – Swahili | Nairobi | Naíróbí |
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Latvian | Rīga | Ríga |
Kurzeme | Kúrland | |
Daugava | Dvína | |
Livonija | Lífland | |
Liepāja | Líbá | |
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Arabic – French | Bayrūt – Beyrouth | Beirút |
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English | Monrovia | Monróvía |
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Arabic | Ṭarābulus | Trípólí |
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Lithuanian | Vilnius | Vilníus |
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Malagasy – French | Antananarivo | Antananarívó |
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English | Lilongwe | Lílongve |
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Malay | Kuala Lumpur | Kúala Lúmpúr |
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French – Bambara | Bamako – Bamakə | Bamakó |
Tombouctou – Timbuktu | Timbúktú | |
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Marshallese – English | Majuro | Majúró |
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Arabic – French | Nouakchott | Núaksjott |
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Spanish | Ciudad de México | Mexíkóborg |
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Romanian | Chișinău | Kisínev |
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Mongolian | Ulaanbaatar | Úlan Bator |
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Portuguese | Maputo | Mapútó |
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Korean | P'yŏngyang | Pjongjang |
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Nepali | Kāţhmāņđau | Katmandú |
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Dutch | Amsterdam | Amsturdammur (little used), Erilstífla (little used) |
Den Haag or ´s Gravenhage | Haag | |
Utrecht | Trekt (little used) | |
Zuiderzee | Suðursjó (historical) | |
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Spanish | Managua | Managva |
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French | Niamey | Níamey |
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English – Yorùbá | Abuja-Abùjá | Abútja |
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Norwegian | ||
Akershus | Akurshús | |
Arendal | Arnardalur | |
Aust-Agder | Austur-Agðir | |
Bergen | Björgyn (obsolete), Björgvin (current)[3] | |
Bjørnøya | Bjarnarey | |
Bodø | Boðvin | |
Bærum | Bergheimur (obsolete) | |
Drammen | Dröfn (obsolete) | |
Finnmark | Finnmörk | |
Gjøvik | Djúpvík (historical) | |
Hedmark | Heiðmörk | |
Hordaland | Hörðaland | |
Karmøy | Körmt (historical) | |
Møre og Romsdal | Mæri og Raumsdalur | |
Nord-Trøndelag, Sør-Trøndelag | Norður-Þrændalög, Suður-Þrændalög | |
Nordland | Norðurland | |
Oslo | Kauphágur (historical), Ósló (current) | |
Rogaland | Rygjafylki | |
Skien | Skiða (obsolete) | |
Sogn og Fjordane | Sogn og Firðafylki | |
Stavanger | Stafangur | |
Telemark | Þelamörk | |
Trondheim | Niðarós (historical), Þrándheimur (current) | |
Tønsberg | Túnsberg (obsolete) | |
Østfold | Austfold | |
Ålesund | Álasund | |
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Arabic | Masqaṭ | Múskat |
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Spanish – Guaraní | Asunción | Asúnsjón |
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Spanish | Lima | Líma |
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Tagalog – Cebuano | Maynila – Manila | Maníla |
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Polish | Cities | |
Wrocław | Breslá | |
Kraków | Kraká | |
Warszawa | Varsjá | |
Szczecin | Stettín | |
Voivodeships | ||
Silesia | Slesía | |
Kuyavia | Kujavía | |
Pomerania | Pommern | |
Małopolska | Litla-Pólland | |
Warmia | Ermland | |
Masuria | Masúría | |
Mazovia | Masóvía | |
Subcarpathia | Neðri-Karpatía | |
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Portuguese | Lisboa | Lissabon |
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Romanian | București | Búkarest |
Constanța | Konstantía | |
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Russian | Murom | Móramar (historical) |
Novgorod | Hólmgarður, Nýi Garður, Nýborg | |
Rostov | Ráðstofa | |
Sankt Peterburg | Sankti Pétursborg | |
Smolensk | Smáleskja (historical) | |
Staraya Ladoga | Aldeigjuborg (historical) | |
Suzdal | Súrsdalar (historical) | |
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Kinyarwanda – French | Kigali | Kígalí |
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Samoan | Apia | Apía |
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Arabic | Makkah | Mekka |
Riyāḍ | Ríad | |
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Serbian | Beograd | Belgrad |
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Somali – Arabic | Muqdisho – Maqadīshū | Mógadisjú |
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English – Afrikaans | Cape of Good Hope | Góðrarvonarhöfði |
Cape Town – Kaapstad | Höfðaborg | |
Johannesburg | Jóhannesarborg | |
Pretoria | Pretoría | |
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Korean | Seoul | Seúl |
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Spanish | Barcelona | Barselóna |
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Sinhala – Tamil | Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte | Srí Jajevardenepúra |
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Arabic – English | Kharṭūm – Khartoum | Kartúm |
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Dutch | Paramaribo | Paramaríbó |
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Swedish | Göteborg | Gautaborg |
Helsingborg | Helsingjaborg | |
Lund | Lundur | |
Malmö | Málmhaugar (little used), Málmey | |
Stockholm | Stokkhólmur[5] | |
Uppsala | Uppsalir | |
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German – French | Basel – Bâle | Boslaraborg (obsolete) |
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Arabic | Dimašq | Damaskus |
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Tajik | Dushanbe | Dúshanbe |
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Swahili | Dodoma | Dódóma |
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Thai | Krung Thep | Bangkok |
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Tongan – English | Nukuʻalofa | Núkúalófa |
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Turkish | İstanbul | Mikligarður (historical), Istanbúl (current) |
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Ukrainian | Kyiv | Kænugarður, Kyjív |
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Arabic | Abū Zabī | Abú Dabí |
'Ajmān | Adsman | |
Dubayy | Dúbaí | |
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English | Aberdeen | Apardjón (obsolete) |
Canterbury | Kantaraborg | |
Dover | Dofrar (little used) | |
Edinburgh | Edinborg | |
Yarmouth | Járnamóða (little used) | |
Cambridge | Kambabryggja (little used) | |
Lerwick | Leirvík | |
London | Lundúnir (also used, but London more current)[3] | |
Southampton | Suðurhamtún (little used) | |
Oxford | Öxnafurða (little used) | |
Scarborough | Skarðaborg (obsolete) | |
York | Jórvík | |
Wales | Valland (little used) | |
Isle of Man | Mön | |
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English | California | Kalifornía |
Florida | Flórída | |
Georgia | Georgía | |
New York | Nýja-Jórvík (not in common use, a jocular term of academic pretension) | |
North Carolina | Norður-Karólína | |
North Dakota | Norður-Dakóta | |
Pennsylvania | Pennsylvanía | |
South Carolina | Suður-Karólína | |
South Dakota | Suður-Dakóta | |
Virginia | Virginía | |
West Virginia | Vestur-Virginía | |
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Spanish | Montevideo | Montevídeó |
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Uzbek | Toshkent | Taskent |
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Latin | Status Civitatis Vaticanae | Páfagarður |
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Spanish | Caracas | Karakas |
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Vietnamese | Hà Nội | Hanoí |
Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh | Ho Chi Minh-borg, formerly Saígon | |
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English | Lusaka | Lúsaka |
Language | Native name | Icelandic exonym |
See also
References
- ^ Oddur Ævar Gunnarsson (16 November 2022). "Belarús mun líklega ekki rústa framtíð íslenskunnar". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). p. 2. Retrieved 5 April 2024 – via Tímarit.is.
- ^ Gunnar Þór Magnússon (20 August 2008). "Af hverju tölum við um Peking en ekki Beijing?". Icelandic Web of Science (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Svavar Sigmundsson (11 February 2009). "Af hverju eru erlend borgarnöfn þýdd eða þeim breytt í íslensku máli, til dæmis Lundúnir, Kaupmannahöfn, o.s.frv.?". Icelandic Web of Science (in Icelandic). University of Iceland. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ "Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls". bin.arnastofnun.is. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
- ^ Ólafur Hansson (18 October 1948). "Erlend staðarheiti". Mánudagsblaðið (in Icelandic). pp. 4, 7. Retrieved 5 April 2024 – via Tímarit.is.
External links
- Íslensk orðabók (2003). Edited by Mörður Árnason. ISBN 9979-3-2353-1
- Icelandic Language Center:Country names at Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
- Lists of foreign place names at Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
- v
- t
- e
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/S%C3%81M_66%2C_75v%2C_death_of_Baldr.jpg/100px-S%C3%81M_66%2C_75v%2C_death_of_Baldr.jpg)
- Patronymic names
- Street names
- List of exonyms
- Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
- Icelandic Language Day
- Icelandic Language Council
- Icelandic Language Fund
- Icelandic Language Institute
- Icelandic Naming Committee
- Linguistic purism