Köben
Icelandic
Alternative forms
- Køben
Etymology
Shortening of Danish København.
Proper noun
Köben
- (informal) Copenhagen (the capital city of Denmark)
- Það eru ódýr flug til Köben þessa dagana. ― There are some cheap flights available to Copenhagen these days.
- Kallinn loksins mættur til kóngsins Köben. ― I have finally made it to Copenhagen, the king's city!
Usage notes
This form is extremely common in colloquial speech; for many speakers it is more common than the full name Kaupmannahöfn. "Kóngsins Köben" is also a term that is commonly seen, but it is much more jocular; it refers to Copenhagen being the residence of Iceland's former king. The Icelandic usage of "Köben" is considered extremely silly by Danish people, while it is a neutral term in Iceland.
Similar terms
- Tene (short for Tenerife)