List of English words of Old Norse origin
Words of Old Norse origin have entered the English language, primarily from the contact between Old Norse and Old English during colonisation of eastern and northern England between the mid 9th to the 11th centuries.
Many of these words are part of English core vocabulary, such as egg or knife.
There are hundreds of such words, and the list below does not aim at completeness.
To be distinguished from loan words which date back to the Old English period are modern Old Norse loans originating in the context of Old Norse philology, such as kenning, and loans from modern Icelandic.
Yet another class comprises loans from Old Norse into Old French, which via Anglo-Norman were then indirectly loaned into Middle English; an example is flâneur, via French from the Old Norse verb flana "to wander aimlessly".
A
;ado: influenced by Norse at which was used with English "do" in certain English dialects;aloft:
- á + lopt
- English provenance = c 1200 AD
;are: merger of Old English and Old Norse cognates
;auk: A type of Arctic seabird.
;awe:
- agi
- English provenance = c 1205 AD
;awful: From the same Norse root as "awe".
;awkward: the first element is from Old Norse ǫfugr, the '-ward' part is from Old English weard
;awn: From Old Norse ögn
;axle: May be a combination of Old English eax and Old Norse öxull
B
;bag: baggi;bait: beita
;band: band
;bank : from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse banki, Old Danish banke.
;bark: bǫrkr
;bash: From Old Norse *basca
;bask: baðask reflex. of baða "bathe"
;bat : probably related to Old Swedish natbakka, Old Danish nathbakkæ "night bat," and Old Norse leðrblaka "bat," literally "leather flapper".
;berserk: berserkr, lit. 'bear-shirt', frenzied warriors
;billow: bylgja
;birth: byrðr
;blather: Probably from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse blaðra
;bleak: bleikr
;blend: Possibly from Old Norse blanda
;blister: From a Scandinavian source via Old French
;bloat: From a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse blautr
;bloom: "blossom of a plant," c. 1200, a northern word, from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse blomi "flower, blossom".
;blunder: blundra
;boast: Probably from a Scandinavian source via Anglo-French
;bole: From Old Norse bolr
;both: baðir
;boon: bon
;booth: From Old Danish boþ, from East Norse *boa
;boulder: from a Scandinavian source akin to Swedish dialectal bullersten "noisy stone", from bullra "to roar" + sten "stone".
;brink: Possibly related to Danish brink
;brisket: perhaps from Old French bruschet, with identical sense of the English word, or from Old Norse brjosk "gristle, cartilage" or Danish bryske
;brunt: Likely from Old Norse brundr or bruna =
;bulk: bulki
;bull: boli
;bump: Perhaps from Scandinavian, probably echoic
;bunker: possibly from a Scandinavian source such as bunke "boards used to protect the cargo of a ship"
;bur: From a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse burst
;bylaw: bylög
C
;cake: kaka;call: kalla
;cart: From Old Norse kartr or a similar Scandinavian source
;cast: kasta
;chubby: Perhaps influenced by Old Norse kumba "log", kumben "stumpy".
;clip: klippa
;club: klubba
;clumsy: From a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse klumsa
;cog: Probably a Scandinavian borrowing, related to Norwegian kugg
;cozy: Likely of Scandinavian origin via Scots, perhaps related to Norwegian kose seg
;crawl: krafla
;craze: Possibly from Old Norse krasa via Old French crasir
;creek: kriki through ME creke altered from kryk perhaps influenced by Anglo-Norman crique itself from a Scandinavian source via Norman-French
;crochet: from Old Norse krokr "hook" via French crochet "small hook; canine tooth"
;crocket: from the same Norse root as "crochet" via French.
;crook: krokr
;crotch: from Old North French croche "shepherd's crook," variant of croc "hook," from Old Norse krokr "hook".
;crotchet, crotchety: from Old Norse krokr "hook" via Old French crochet.
;crouch: from the same Norse root as "crochet" via French.
;cur: kurra
;cut: Possibly from North Germanic ''*kut-''
D
;dangle: Probably from Scandinavian, related to Danish dangle, Swedish dangla and Norwegian dangla;dank: Related to Swedish dank and dänka
;dash, dashing: Probably from a Scandinavian source
;dastard, dastardly: Probably from *dast, "dazed," past participle of dasen "to daze" or the equivalent past participle in Old Norse + deprecatory suffix -ard.
;daze, dazed: Perhaps from Old Norse *dasa
;die: deyja
;ding: The meaning "to deal heavy blows" is c. 1300, probably from Old Norse dengja "to hammer," and is probably ultimately imitative.
;dirt: drit
;down : "first feathers of a baby bird; soft covering of fowls under the feathers, the under-plumage of birds," used for stuffing pillows and feather-beds, mid-14c., from Old Norse dunn, which is of uncertain origin.
;doze: Probably from a Scandinavian source.
;dregs: dregg
;droop: From Old Norse drupa
;dump: Possibly related to Danish dumpe, Norwegian dumpa, and Old Norse dumpa. Not found in Old English.
E
;egg: egg;eider: a type of duck.
;equip, equipment: skipa through Middle French équiper, from Old French esquiper "fit out a ship, load on board", itself from Norman-French esquipper, eschiper
F
;fell : from Old Norse fiall "mountain";fellow: félagi
;filly: Possibly from Old Norse fylja, fem. of foli
;fir: from Old Norse fyri- "fir" or Old Danish fyr.
;firth: From Old Norse fjörðr via Scottish
;fjord: From Norwegian fiord, from Old Norse fjörðr
;flag: Probably from Old Norse flaka
;flaneur: flana + French suffix -eur through French flâneur, itself from Norman-French flaner, flanner
;flat: flatr
;flaunt: Related to Swedish flankt and flakka
;flaw: From Old Norse flaga
;fleck: Probably from Old Norse flekka
;fling: Probably from Old Norse flengja
;flit: flytja
;floe: From Norwegian flo from Old Norse flo
;flounder: From Old Norse flydhra via Anglo-French floundre
;fluster: Probably from a Scandinavian source related to Icelandic flaustr
;fog: from Old Norse fok through Danish fog, meaning "spray", "shower", "snowdrift"
;fond: uncertain but perhaps from Scandinavian
;fro: from Old Norse fra
;freckle: freknur
;fun: from the same source as "fond"
G
;gab: gabbnna through Northern England dialect, Scottish or Norman-French;gable: from Old French gable "facade, front, gable," from Old Norse gafl "gable, gable-end".
;gad: gaddr
;gag: Perhaps influenced by Old Norse gag-hals
;gain: from Germanic and from Old Norse via Old French.
;gait: Related to Old Norse gata
;gale: Perhaps from Old Norse gol or Old Danish gal
;gang: gangr
;gap: gap
;gape: From an unrecorded English word or from Old Norse gapa
;gasp: geispa
;gaunt: Perhaps from a Scandinavian source
;gawk: from Middle English gawen, from Old Norse ga
;gear: from Old Norse gørvi
;geld: from Old Norse gelda
;gelding: from Old Norse geldingr
;get: geta, gat, gittan
;geyser: from Icelandic geysir, from Old Norse geysa
;gift: gift
;gill: Possibly related to Old Norse gjölnar
;girth: gjörð
;give: gefa
;glitter: glitra
;gloat: From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse glotta
;gosling: gæslingr
;grovel: Shakespearean term originating from Old Norse grufe
;guest: gestr
;gun: from Old Norse Gunnhildr
;gust: gustr
H
;haggle: haggen;hail: heill
;hank: Probably from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse hönk
;hap, happy: happ
;harness: From Old Norse *hernest via Old French harnois
;harsh: probably from Middle English harske "rough, coarse, sour", a northern word of Scandinavian origin.
;haunt: heimta through Anglo-Norman haunter, French hanter from Norman hanter.
;haven: From Old Norse höfn
;hit: hitta
;how : haugr Usage preserved mainly in place names
;husband: husbondi
;hug: Possibly from Old Norse hugga
I
;ill: illr;irk: yrkja
J
;jökulhlaup: from Icelandic jökulhlaup from Old Norse jǫkull and hlaup.;jarl: From Old Norse jarl
K
;kedge: Probably from a Scandinavian source or related to "cadge";keg: From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse kaggi
;keel: kjölr
;kenning: a descriptive phrase used in Germanic poetry, a modern learned word from Old Norse kenning in a special sense.
;kick: Of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old Norse kikn
;kid: kið
;kidnap: From kid + a variant of nab, both of which are of Scandinavian origin.
;kilt: From Middle English kilten, from a Scandinavian source
;kindle: kynda
;knife: knífr
L
;lad: ladd;lag: Possibly from a Scandinavian source, related to Norwegian lagga
;lass: From a Scandinavian source related to Old Swedish løsk kona or Old Norse löskr
;lathe: hlaða
;law: *lagu
;leg: leggr
;lemming: From Old Norse lomundr via Norwegian lemming
;lift: lypta
;likely: líkligr
;link: *hlenkr
;litmus: litmose
;loan: lán
;loft: lopt
;loose: lauss
;lope: From Old Norse hlaupa
;low: lagr
;lug: From Scandinavian, related to Swedish lugga and Norwegian lugge
M
;meek: From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse mjukr;midden: Of Scandinavian origin, related to Danish mødding
;mink: From a Scandinavian source, related to Swedish menk
;mire: myrr
;mistake: mistaka
;mold : related to Old Norse mygla "grow moldy"
;muck: myki
;mug: mugge
;muggy: mugga
N
;nab: Probably a variant of dialectal nap "to seize, catch, lay hold of", which possibly is from Scandinavian.;nag: Probably ultimately from a Scandinavian source, related to Old Norse gnaga
;narwhal: From Danish and Norwegian narhval, probably a metathesis of Old Norse nahvalr, literally "corpse-whale," from na "corpse"
;nasty: Likely related to Swedish dialectal and Danish naskug, nasket "dirty, nasty".
;nay, naysayer: From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse nei
;niggard, niggardly: Perhaps from a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse *hniggw, possibly via French
;Norman, Normandy: from Old Norse through Old French, meaning "northman", due to Viking settlement in Normandy region
;nudge: Perhaps from Scandinavian, related to Norwegian nugge/nyggje and Icelandic nugga
O
;oaf: alfr;odd: oddi
;ombudsman: from Old Norse umboðsmaðr through Swedish ombudsman, meaning "commissary", "representative", "steward"
;outlaw: utlagi
P
;peen: Probably from a Scandinavian source, related to Norwegian penn and Old Swedish pæna;plough, plow: plogr
;prod: From Old Norse broddr
Q
;queasy: Possibly from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse kveisa .R
;race: rás;raft: raptr
;rag: Probably from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse rögg
;ragged: Related to "rag", perhaps from or reinforced by Old Norse raggaðr.
;ragtag: From rag + tag, both component words being of Scandinavian origin.
;raise: reisa
;ransack: rannsaka
;reef: Likely from Old Norse rif via Dutch riffe
;regret: gráta + French prefix re- through Old French regreter, itself from Old Norman-French regrater, regreter, influenced by Old English grætan
;reindeer: hreindyri
;rid: Possibly from Old Norse ryðja
;rift: Related to Old Norse ripa/rifa
;rig: Probably from a Scandinavian source. May be related to Danish/Norwegian rigge and Swedish rigga
;rive: rífa
;root: rót
;rotten: rotinn
;rug: rogg
;rugged: rogg
;rump: From a Scandinavian source related to Danish/Norwegian rumpe and Swedish rumpa
S
;saga: saga;sale: sala
;same: same, samr
;scale: from skal in early English used to mean "cup"
;scalp: From a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse skalli or skalpr
;scant: skamt and skammr
;scare: skirra
;scarf: skarfr .
;scathe: skaða
;scoff: From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skaup, skop
;scofflaw: From scoff + law, both of which are of Old Norse origin.
;scold: From Old Norse skald
;scorch: Perhaps from Old Norse skorpna. It was previously thought to be from Old French, but this is now considered unlikely.
;score: skor
;scowl: Probably from a Scandinavian source, related to Norwegian skule and Danish skule
;scrag: Related to Norwegian skragg "a lean person;" dialectal Swedish skraka "a great, dry tree; a long, lean man," skragge "old and torn thing," Danish skrog "hull of a ship; carcass," Icelandic skröggr, a nickname of the fox
;scrap: skrap from skrapa
;scrape: skrapa
;scrawny: Of uncertain origin but probably from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse skrælna
;scree: From Old Norse skriða
;scuff, scuffle: Probably from a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse skufa, skyfa, via Scottish
;seat: sæti
;seem: sœma
;shrimp: Probably from or related to Old Norse skreppa
;shrivel: Perhaps from a Scandinavian source and related to Swedish skryvla
;shrug: perhaps connected to Danish skrugge "to stoop, crouch."
;silt: Probably from a Scandinavian source, related to Norwegian and Danish sylt and Old Swedish sylta
;skate: skata
;skeet: ultimately from Old Norse skjota
;skerry: From Old Norse sker
;skewer: Possibly from Old Norse skifa
;ski: From Norwegian ski, related to Old Norse skið
;skid: Probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse skið
;skill: skil
;skin: skinn
;skip: skopa
;skit: Perhaps ultimately from Old Norse skjuta
;skitter, skittish: Perhaps relate to Old Norse skjota
;skirt
;skive: From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skifa
;skrike: skríkja
;skua: from Faroese skugvur, related to Old Norse skufr, and possibly to skauf.
;skull: skulle
;sky: ský
;skyscraper: From sky + scrape, both of which originate from Old Norse
;slam: From a Scandinavian source, ultimately of imitative origin.
;slant: sletta, slenta
;slaughter: *slahtr
;slaver: slafra
;sledge: sleggja
;sleight: slœgð
;sleuth: sloð
;slight: Probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse slettr
;sling: From Old Norse slyngva
;slob: From a Scandinavian source via Irish
;slot: Perhaps from Old Norse sloð "trail" via Old French esclot "hoofprint of a deer or horse".
;slouch: Related to Old Norse slokr
;slump: Probably from a Scandinavian source such as Norwegian and Danish slumpe Swedish slumpa; perhaps ultimately of imitative origin.
;slush: Perhaps from a Scandinavian source, related to Norwegian and Danish slask
;sly: sloegr
;smithy: From Old Norse smiðja
;snag: From a Scandinavian source, related Old Norse snagi
;snare: snara
;snape: sneypa
;snipe: From Old Norse -snipa
;sniper: From English snipe, which was derived from Old Norse
;snub: snubba
;snug, snuggle: Perhaps from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse snoggr
;spike: perhaps from or related to a Scandinavian word, such as Old Norse spik "splinter," Middle Swedish spijk "nail".
;sprint: spretta
;squabble: probably from a Scandinavian source and of imitative origin
;squall: Probably from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse skvala
;stack: From a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse stakkr
;stagger: stakra
;stain: steina
;steak: steik, steikja
;stern : probably from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse stjorn "a steering," related to or derived from styra "to guide".
;stoup: From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse staup
;stumble: Probably from a Scandinavian source, may be related to Norwegian stumla, Swedish stambla
;swag: From a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse sveggja
;swain: from Old Norse sveinn "boy, servant, attendant".
;sway: sveigja
T
;tag: Probably from a Scandinavian source, related to Norwegian tagg and Swedish tagg;tangle: From a Scandinavian source, possibly related to Old Norse þongull
;take: taka
;tarn: tjǫrn, tjarn
;tatter: From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse töturr
;teem: tœma
;tern: From a Scandinavian source akin via East Anglian dialect
;tether: Probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse tjoðr
;their: þeirra
;they: þeir
;though: from Old English þēah, and in part from Old Norse þó
;thrall: þræll
;thrift: þrift
;thrive: From a Scandinavian source akin to þrifask
;thrust: þrysta
;thwart: þvert
;tidings: tíðindi
;tight: þéttr
;till: til
;toft: From Old Norse topt
;toom: tóm
;toss: Of uncertain origin, possibly from a Scandinavian source
;trash: Perhaps from Old Norse tros
;troll: troll
;trust : traust
;tryst: from Old French tristre, probably from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse treysta.
;tyke: From a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse tik
U
;ugly: uggligr;until: from Old Norse und and til
V
;valkyrie: from Old Norse valkyrja, literally "chooser of the slain," from valr + kyrja, from ablaut root of kjosa;viking: vikingr
;vole: Probably from Old Norse völlr
W
;wad: from Old Norse vaðmal;wag: Probably from a Scandinavian source related Old Norse vagga
;waif: Probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse veif via Anglo-French waif
;wail: From Old Norse væla
;waive, waiver: from Anglo-French weyver "to abandon, waive", probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse veifa "to swing about".
;walrus: A loanword from Dutch, but probably ultimately an alteration of a Scandinavian word.
;wand: vondr
;want: vanta
;wapentake: From Old Norse vapnatak
;wassail: From Old Norse vas heill
;weak: veikr
;wheeze: Probably from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse hvoesa
;whirl: hvirfla
;whisk: viska
;wicker: From a Scandinavian source, related to Danish viger and Middle Swedish viker
;wicket: vík + French suffix -et through Anglo-Norman wicket, itself from Old Norman-French wiket, Norman-French viquet > French guichet
;wight: vigr – the other wight meaning "man" is from Old English
;wile: vél
;windlass: vindáss, through Old Norman / Anglo-Norman windas, from vinda + áss.
;window: vindauga – although gluggi was more commonly used in Old Norse
;wing: vængr
;wreck: From a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse *wrek, via Anglo-Norman wrec
;wrong: rangr