What is Smilla?

Smilla is a typical Icelander departing term. Some believe the term refers to a certain kind of person who has given themselves over to smelling other people’s personal odors. This etymological interpretation is doubtful since this type of rude behavior would take place at the beginning of an encounter, whereas the term “smilla” is clearly a departing term. Generally, Icelandic peoples are not rude or insulting with their salutations or valedictions. Like the old Indo-European languages, Icelandic has a complicated grammar and pronunciation scheme. An Icelander will pronounce an ‘i’ with an ‘e’ sound and of course the ‘a’ at the end of the word is silent. Therefore, this goodbye term is a benign departing gesture, suggesting that the individual should give attention to their personal hygiene before their next encounter. It is not uncommon for you to hear an Icelandic person say to another unwashed countryman, “Silla ya latter.” Translated to 21st century modern English, “smell you later.”