of his country, seems to be attributable .to the
little intercourse which this island has had
with foreign nations,, and to the small alteration
that has taken place in the state of civilization
of its inhabitants; few or no strangers
having settled among them, who might corrupt
their language by a mixture of their own;
and few luxuries having been introduced,
which might give rise to new wants, and consequently
render necessary new terms to express
them. What is spoken by the'people
of the coast is, however, .in some degree,
altered by the visits of foreigners; and in the
immediate vicinity of the ports will be heard
a number of words, which have been adopted
from the Danes and Norwegians.
A specimen of the modern Icelandic will be
found at page 295, of the second volume of
this work, in a poem, written by one of the
first native scholars of the present day; but,
in order to shew how trifling is the change
that has taken place in the language* between
the years 1585 and 1746, I shall here subjoin
a transcript of the Lord’s* Prayer, as it
was written at each of those periods.
INTRODUCTION; Ixix
ICELANDIC LORD’S PRAYER IN 1585.
Fader vor thu sem ert a himnum. Helgist nafn
thitt. Tilkome thitt riike. Verde thinn vilie so a
jordu sem a himne. Gief oss i dag vort dagligt braud.
Og fyrerlat oss vorar skullder, so: em vier fyrerlautum
vorum skulldunauium. Og inleid oss ecki i freistne.
Helldr frelsa thu oss af illu, thuiat thitt er riikit,
maatur og dyrd um allder 'allda. Amen.
ICELANDIC LORD’S PRAYER IN 1746.
Fader vor thu sem ert a himnum. Helgesst thitt
nafn. Tilkomme thitt rike. Verde thin vilie, so a
jordu sem a himne. Gief thu oss î dag vort dàglegt
braud. Og fyrergief oss vorar skullder, so sem vier
fyrer-giefum vorum skulldnautum. Og innleid oss
ecke i freistne. Helldur frelsa thu oss fra illu ; thuiad
thitt er riiked og maattur og dyrd um allder allda.
Amen.
The Runic* characters, the first in use
•among the Icelanders, are of very remote
antiquity, but of doubtful origin ; though
the Scandinavians, among whom they seem
to have originated, were disposed to attri-
* The word R u n e , Wormius derives either from Ryn,
a furrow, or Ren, a gutter or channel. As these characters
were first cut in wood or stone, the resemblance
to a furrow or channel, would easily suggest the appellation.
Northern Antiquities, i. p. 63.