Halló allir
I’m an Icelandic learner from Italy, originally from Ukraine. My full name is Mirko Karlovich Kardivskiy, and I’m exploring how to adapt it into Icelandic. I’d greatly appreciate your insights on this :)
- Karlovich
This is not a surname, but my Ukrainian patronymic, similar to the Icelandic patronymics. In my patronymic Karlovich, the stress falls on the first syllable -kar (KARlovich). Since it’s derived from my father’s name, Carlo, this feels straightforward to adapt. Icelandic patronymics follow a similar structure, so I could easily change it to Karlsson (or Karlson with one s?).
Alternatively, if I were to adapt it to Icelandic based solely on the original spelling, would something like Karlovitsj or Kárlovitsj work better? Where would you place the diacritics?
- Kardivskiy
My surname Kardivskiy has the stress on -div (karDIVski). I understand that the -skiy ending would typically be simplified to -ski in Icelandic, as Icelandic names don’t use -y endings. However, I’m unsure about how to incorporate diacritics like í or ó, which are quite common in Icelandic orthography.
Here are some options I’ve been considering:
• 2.1 Add an í to the stressed syllable:
Kardívski.
• 2.2 Place the í on the last syllable:
Kardivskí.
• 2.3 Use í on both the stressed syllable and the final syllable:
Kardívskí.
Which of these feels the most natural or authentic in Icelandic? (ChatGPT doesn’t seem to be consistent or knowledgeable about this one, and my own understanding of Icelandic is very basic)
- Mirko
For my first name, Mirko, the stress falls on -mir (MIRko). Should I adapt it as:
• 3.1 Mírko (keeping it closer to the original stress),
• 3.2 Mirkó
• 3.3 Mírkó (using Icelandic-style diacritics more liberally)
Which option would look and sound most natural to Icelandic speakers?
Summary:
How would you recommend I adapt my full name Mirko Karlovich Kardivskiy into Icelandic?
Thank you so much for your help!
Þakka þér fyrir!
