why is Icelandic considered a separate language and not Old Norwegian?

Question

why is Icelandic considered a separate language and not Old Norwegian?

In: Culture

Answer 1

Same reason Norwegian is considered a separate language for Old Norse (not Old Norwegian). Both evolved over time and are now different from their parent. Due to isolation and a smaller, more homogenous population, Icelandic (and Faroese) has changed less than other Norse languages, but it has still changed.