Question for Icelandic and/or Icelandic-speaking forumites

[psychopompos]

Basically, it's this:

I'm writing a young adult fantasy book. The main character is the half-mortal daughter of Loki. That's about all you need to know.

What I'm wondering is this: what's the correct form of the Icelandic patronymic for "Loki's Daughter"? Is it just plain Lokisdóttir, or something else? It's kind of a shot in the dark asking this here, considering Icelandic is one of the least-spoken Germanic languages, but on the off-chance that someone here does, then could you help me out? I'd rather err on the side of caution than stick my foot in my ass. (There's a mixed metaphor for you…)

Thanks,

/psychopompos

[JustAName]

Actually taking a Scandinavian Sagas class, and the professor covered this as an intro today. Yeah, it's actually just Lokisdóttir. And awesome on the book! If you want to share at some point, I'd love to see it!

[empath]

I love this place; no matter how obscure the question, this conclave of enthusiasts, geeks and actual specialists have it covered.

(and yeah, this story idea appeals; I, too, look forward to whatever you can share with us in the future)

[My pseudonym is Ix]

I have no knowledge of Scandinavian languages, but my Norwegian CK2 campaign has all the female characters called 'Magnusdatter' etc. rather than 'dottir'. Is this merely a regional variation (being Norwegian rather than Icelandic), or does it have to do with 400 years of linguistic evolution?

[psychopompos]

Fayili: Thanks. I owe you a beer, mate.

As for the book: it's currently in the first draft, and no offense to anyone who wants to read it, but I don't feel comfortable sharing it with people who I don't know very well at the moment. I already have beta readers, and they're all close friends and family. I know that my books will, one day, be read by strangers, but at the moment it would feel like giving my baby to a person I don't know and asking them to rip it apart. It's a delicate process.

One day, I know that my babies will have to go off to kindergarten. But that's not for a while.

/psychopompos

[JustAName]

Hey, no worries. I like to share my stuff (that people have already praised) because I'm vain as fuck, but I'm equally familiar with wanting to keep something unfinished or not perfect to yourself.

And hey! Looks like we live in the same state! Maybe I'll hunt you down and claim something equaling a beer (beer is kind of gross). Seriously, though, glad to help.

[Mowinckel]

I have no knowledge of Scandinavian languages, but my Norwegian CK2 campaign has all the female characters called 'Magnusdatter' etc. rather than 'dottir'. Is this merely a regional variation (being Norwegian rather than Icelandic), or does it have to do with 400 years of linguistic evolution?

Yes... altho less of a "regional difference" and more of a "different language".
It is done in all the scandinavian countries, but with each languages name for daugther or son, pretty sure it is/was quite a common way to do it other places.
But iceland is special in that they STILL do it quite often "magnussøn having just become a last name with no one even remembering the Magnus that gave the family its name is the norm" so that they get new last names in every genneration.

[Smeghead]

I have no knowledge of Scandinavian languages, but my Norwegian CK2 campaign has all the female characters called 'Magnusdatter' etc. rather than 'dottir'. Is this merely a regional variation (being Norwegian rather than Icelandic), or does it have to do with 400 years of linguistic evolution?

While the Scandinavian languages are indeed related (as a swede I can understand a lot of spoken Norwegian), but they are different. in Swedish "dottir" would be "dotter" (also related to that; we spell Loki with an e instead of an i)

The whole "Magnusdatter" thing comes from back when your surname came from your father's first name (obviously).

[JustAName]

Oh, hey, my friend took a picture of the handout I wanted to somehow share with you! Now I don't have to figure out whether I want to go to the trouble of typing it out!

http://postimg.org/image/ifdl73ky5/

[Keab42]

Huh well that's taken some of the mystique away from a certain Icelandic pop star. Birch Tree can go join Henry Churches on the list of peoples who's names are significantly less cool when translated into English...

[Amake]

I always thought Björk was a very cool name until I heard English-speaking people try to say it. The Ö is pronounced very similar to the EA part of "earth", if you're wondering.

On the topic of regional differences, all the Scandinavian languages are basically mutations of Icelandic, which has the remarkable feature of being almost completely unchanged since the last thousand years or so.

[psychopompos]

Fayili: Thanks! That handout looks quite useful. It's actually the kind of thing I'm looking for– while many of the characters are actual gods, Valkyries, giants, etc., I need a list that I can use for minor character names.

Keab42: In addition to Henry Churches, you also can't forget about Anthony Flags.

[Efhan]

I always thought Björk was a very cool name until I heard English-speaking people try to say it. The Ö is pronounced very similar to the EA part of "earth", if you're wondering.

On the topic of regional differences, all the Scandinavian languages are basically mutations of Icelandic, which has the remarkable feature of being almost completely unchanged since the last thousand years or so.

This isn't true.
Icelandic comes from the original Norwegian settlers, and is basically mostly unchanged Norse, while mainland scandinavian languages is VERY distant from the original norse. Linguist classify them as two seperate branches of Scandinavian.
Even Norwegian, which Icelandic originally came from, changed drastically because of being annexed by Danish and Swedish. We also learn a lot about language cause we have two official written languages. And even the one that wasn't directly influenced by Danish is really far removed from Old Norwegian.

Fun Fact: In Norwegian Iceland is Island. This causes confusion when we learn English.

[Smeghead]

The Ö is pronounced very similar to the EA part of "earth", if you're wondering.

That or the I in "Bird"

Fun Fact: In Norwegian Iceland is Island. This causes confusion when we learn English.

Its also called Island in Swedish, but island in Swedish is called Ö.

[Amake]

Oh well. I have one guaranteed true fun fact: Iceland and Greenland were named in that counter-intuitive manner specifically to trick would-be invaders to the wrong destination. "Greenland is obviously the one we want, guys. You can tell from the name it's nice and hospitable."

[Smeghead]

I thought Greenland was given the name by the first viking settlers to market the place as a much better place for colonization then it really was, and the same would go for Vinland (Erik said they found wild grapes growing there, but none has ever been found). You couldn't really charge anyone for false advertisement in thouse days.

That's just what I think, I might have picked some of that up from somewhere but don't take my word for it.

[Amake]

Settlers, invaders, tomato, potato. The point is getting some guys to go to Greenland meant less guys going to Iceland.

I haven't thought that could apply to Vinland as well, but it would make sense: The more people go over there the less are left to get in our way over here. Man, people did not get along well with each other back then.

[Efhan]

Fun Fact: In Norwegian Iceland is Island. This causes confusion when we learn English.

Its also called Island in Swedish, but island in Swedish is called Ö.

Yeah, and in Norwegian it's called Øy. Same fonetics are used the same as "'ey" some places.

Settlers, invaders, tomato, potato. The point is getting some guys to go to Greenland meant less guys going to Iceland.

Iceland got its name cause the first thing explorers saw was a big iceberg in front.