The Nordic’ Já’

As a foreigner, you might find it intriguing to observe Icelanders saying “Já,” which means “yes,” while inhaling. This is a distinctive speech quirk known as “inns,” and it’s used by Icelanders to emphasize agreement or to encourage the speaker to continue their discourse.

Interestingly, neither native speakers nor linguists can pinpoint the origin of this “inns” phenomenon. It’s a natural part of Icelandic speech, and locals may not fully grasp why foreigners are curious about it.

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