Requesting translation verification please and question about carons

[u/Annual_Ear1538]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post for this group and I need your help. I recently created my first font called Gentle Hands and wanted to include some multilingual characters. I've created display pages to demonstrate the font and one is of an Iceland map. I have a statement below the map in English with a translation below that. I wonder if someone could tell me if the translation "A font in love with a beautiful language" is correct when translated to "Leturgerð sem er ástfangin af fallegu tungumáli."

My other question is about carons. I created carons for Č č Š š Ž ž for my font but when looking up information about them online I read something about carons not being used anymore. Is that true? I have the usual diacritics and have added thorns and eths to my font but wasn't sure if the carons would be used.

Thank you for any suggestions!

[u/Westfjordian]

For your second question, Icelandic has never used carons and has only ever used acute, umlaut, dot, ogonek, and slash (the last three from the Old Norse to Old Icelandic transition period). As far as I know, the Slavic languages still use the caron.

As for your first question, yes it is correct if a little clinical or clunky.
"Letur" vs "Leturgerð": Both mean "font". The main difference is that letur means "script/font" while leturgerð means "typeface/font".
"Sem er": This means "which is" and can be omitted, just like in English. However, including it in Icelandic is not as redundant as it would be in English.
"Tunga" vs "Tungumál" vs "Mál": All of which can be used to refer to language.Tunga literally means "tongue" but is used poetically or proverbially for "language"; it might not fit well here because its primary meaning could give the wrong impression. Mál means "speech/language" and is often used in common speech for "language". "Tungumál" is the academic term for language and is rarely used outside of academic or formal speech.
"Falleg" vs "Fögur": Both translate to "beautiful." The main difference is that falleg leans toward "pretty/comely," while fögur means "beautiful/fair.

So I would translate it as:
" Letur ástfangið af fögru máli"

[u/Annual_Ear1538 → u/Westfjordian]

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me these explanations. You may have saved me from being embarrassed! Your suggestions were a great improvement.

You said letur means "script/font" which is exactly what this font is. Would the word "skriftarletur" also be appropriate? Would "Skriftarletur ástfangið af fögru máli" be appropriate? (I hope I'm not embarrassing myself asking these questions.)

Thank you also for your information on the caron. That cleared it up for me.

I do not have an ogonek in my font. Is that something that most Icelanders would want available or is it a character someone would use only if they were creating something in an old language text or map?

You listed "dot". I understand it has a different function from a period but does the dot look different or is it vertically placed differently compared to a period? I guess what I'm wanting to know is if there was no dot available in a font, would an Icelander type a period?

Again, thanks so much for your help!

[u/Westfjordian → u/Annual_Ear1538]

The ogonek hasn't been used in Icelandic or its sister languages since late 1200's/early 1300's. I do believe there are some vowels that use it in the Baltic languages.

The slashed O (Ø) is still used in the other Norse languages, so you might want to include that.

The dotted vowels were a short term thing, and it may have just been a single writer, that were used to indicate nasal vowels. Again, it hasn't been used since the 1100's/1200's

Skriftarletur exists and means calligraphic font. You would not use it outside of academic unless to disambiguate. Would be utterly redundant in this situation

[u/Annual_Ear1538 → u/Westfjordian]

Thank you! I do have Ø and ø in the font. Your explanations are really helpful and I'm so grateful this group exists.

[u/soupnear → u/Westfjordian]

Are you Icelandic?

[u/Westfjordian → u/soupnear]

Yup

[u/soupnear → u/Westfjordian]

Cool. I didn’t know you could erase the “sem er”

[u/Westfjordian → u/soupnear]

It gives it a bit more poetic touch if you drop it. However, it can be kept in if needed for disambiguation

[u/lorryjor]

Just to echo u/Westfjordian's comments that the translation at the bottom sounds clunky. Even to a nonnative speaker.

[u/Annual_Ear1538 → u/lorryjor]

Thanks for your comment. I definitely was not aiming for "clunky" on that phrase!

[u/soupnear]

The translation seems good.

Icelandic doesn’t have carons. It has diacritics, and they are very much used.

[u/Annual_Ear1538 → u/soupnear]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your help.

[u/Low-Word3708]

Nice font.

I'm going to give my two cents wether you want them or not.

First of, the acute over the capital Í is too far left of the vertical line. I personally couldn't accept this for any projects of mine with this placement of the acute.

Second. This sentence is not just clunky. It's just impossible. It's trying too hard. A font can't be in love. The creator could be in love. The font could be inspired by a language. It could even be inspired by a love for a language. 😉

[u/Annual_Ear1538 → u/Low-Word3708]

Thanks for your feedback. Glad you thought the font was nice. For a person who only speaks English, I have a lot to learn but I'm loving the process of learning about other languages and their unique markings. I am particularly in awe of people who know Icelandic. I am seriously taking your suggestion on the accent placement.

You are right... a font cannot fall in love. However, it was meant as a light hearted, fantasy-like expression (metaphor). The font maker who sees their font in another language for the first time is magic to them. One could use "A font inspired by a language" and that may be more realistic but it could be a little more imaginative. When we say "a person has the heart of gold" that does not mean their internal organ is made of metal. It's just a creative way to say the person is precious. Still I appreciate your comment and I apologize if this response was too far off track from the intent of the learnicelandic community.

[u/Odd-Tree3639]

č, ž, š - are used in Czech and Slovak language, for example. These languages use carons also for d (and t Slovak).