List of Old Norse exonyms explained

The Norse people traveled abroad as Vikings and Varangians.As such, they often named the locations and peoples they visited with Old Norse words unrelated to the local endonyms.Some of these names have been acquired from sagas, runestones or Byzantine chronicles.

List

A

Norse, Old: [[Apardion]]
  • Aberdeen.[1]
    Norse, Old: [[Álaborg]]
  • A Varangian fort near Norse, Old: Aldeigjuborg.
    Norse, Old: [[Aldeigjuborg]]
  • Staraya Ladoga in Russia. The hypothetical original Finnic name is Finnish: *Alode-joki ("lowland river").
    Norse, Old: [[Aoraisge]]
  • "water nymph island", "Erik's island". Eriska, Scotland.
    Norse, Old: [[Árheimar]]
  • "River home". A capital of the Goths, according to the Hervarar saga.
    Norse, Old: [[Austrsker]]
  • "East skerry". Auskerry, Orkney
    Norse, Old: [[Austrvegr]]
  • "East way". The Baltic lands.

    B

    Norse, Old: Bern
  • Verona.
    Bertangaland
  • Brittany. Mentioned in the Þiðreks saga.
    Bjarmaland
  • The southern shores of the White Sea and the basin of the Northern Dvina. Many historians assume the terms and to derive from the Uralic word perm, which refers to "travelling merchants" and represents the Old Permic culture.[2]
    Norse, Old: [[Bjarneyjar]]
  • "Bear islands". Possibly Disko Island off Greenland.[3]
    blakumen or blökumenn
  • Romanians (Vlachs) or Cumans. Blokumannaland may be the lands south of the Lower Danube.
    Norse, Old: Bót
  • Isle of Bute, Scotland.
    Βουσεγραδε
  • Vyshhorod
    bretar
  • Welsh people

    D

    Danparstaþir
  • A river near Árheimar, according to the Hervarar saga. Identified by some as the Dnieper river.[4]
    *Norse, Old: Dolgrveginn
  • "Giant-lifted". Proposed etymology for Dollywaggon Pike, England.[5]
    Dómisnes
  • Cape Kolka in Latvia
    Dunheith
  • The plains of the Danube.

    E

    Norse, Old: [[Eiriksey]]
  • "Eric's Isle". Eriskay, Scotland.
    *Elfeng, *Elfangr or *Elfing
  • "River flowing through boggy meadows". Elbląg river in Northwest Poland.

    F

    Fetlafjørðr
  • Betanzos Estuary
    finnar
  • Sami people
    ,
  • Related to Norse, Old: frakka ("spear"). The Franks and the Frankish kingdom.
    Furðustrandir
  • "Wonderstrands". An uncertain stretch of coastline in North America.

    G

    Gandvik
  • A dangerous sea, the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia or the White Sea.
    Garðaríki, Garðaveldi
  • "the kingdom of cities". Kievan Rus
    gryting
  • "greut-" may mean "gravel, grit, earth". The Ostrogoths, according to the Hervarar saga.
    Gutagard
  • The trading post of the merchants from Visby (in Gotland) in Veliky Novgorod.[6]

    H

    Haddingjar
  • Related to Old Icelandic haddr meaning "woman's hair". The Hasdingi Vandals.
    Harvaða fjöllum
  • The Carpathians.
    *Heiðabýr, ᚼᛅᛁᚦᛅ᛭ᛒᚢ
  • "Heath-settlement". Hedeby, a Danish trading settlement in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
    Helluland
  • "Land of Flat Rocks" or "Land of Flat Stones". The first of the three lands the Greenland Norse found in North America. According to a footnote in Arthur Middleton Reeves's The Norse Discovery of America (1906), "the whole of the northern coast of America, west of Greenland, was called by the ancient Icelandic geographers Helluland it Mikla, or "Great Helluland"; and the island of Newfoundland simply Helluland, or Litla Helluland."[7] Most scholars agree that Helluland corresponds to Baffin Island in the present-day Canadian territory of Nunavut.[8]
    Norse, Old: Herrey, Norse, Old: Hersey
  • Isle of Arran.
    Norse, Old: [[Hjaltland]]
  • "hilt land". Shetland[9] [10]
    Hlymrekr
  • Limerick
    Hólmgarðr, Holmgarðir
  • "Island enclosure", the fortress of Rurikovo Gorodische near Veliky Novgorod.
    Hóp
  • A location in Vinland.
    Hreiðmarar
  • An uncertain sea mentioned in the Rök runestone. Since it is liked to Theodoric the Great, it should be the Mediterranean Sea.
    Hunaland
  • A legendary location, inspired by the Frankish kingdom (Hugones in Latin) and the Huns.
    Hundings
  • "Son of a dog". The Longobards.
    Hvítramannaland
  • "White Men's Land". A land near Vinland. Also called Great Ireland.

    I

    Íngulssund
  • "Strait by Anglesey", Menai Strait
    Írland hið mikla, Írland it mikla
  • "Great Ireland". A land near Vinland. Also called Hvítramannaland.

    J

    Jakobsland
  • "Land of James". The land around Santiago de Compostela.
    Jómsborg
  • Fortress of the Jomsvikings in an uncertain location in Pomerania.
    Jórsalahaf
  • "sea of Jerusalem". The Mediterranean. It is given as the location of Norse, Old: Narbon ("Narbonne").[11]
    Jórsalir
  • Jerusalem. It exhibits a re-interpretation of the second element as -, denoting a hall or temple, common in Old Norse toponyms.
    Jórvík
  • York

    K

    Karlsá
  • Cádiz
    Kaup
  • "Purchase". A hill near Mokhovoye, Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia.
    Norse, Old: [[Kaupmanneyjar]]
  • "islands of the merchants". Copeland Islands, Northern Ireland.[12]
    Kænugarðr, Kœnugarðr
  • "Boatyard". Kyiv.
    Kjalarnes
  • "Keel point". A location in Vinland.
    Kænland, Kvenland
  • A territory in Northern Finland or Northern Sweden.
    Norse, Old: [[Konungsborgr]]
  • "King's castle". Cunningsburgh, Shetland.
    Norse, Old: [[Krossbør]]
  • "Cross farm or cross roads, market place". Crosby, Isle of Man.
    kumrskar þjóðir
  • "Cumbrian people", the Strathclyde Britons.
    kylfingar
  • A people of uncertain origin active in Northern Europe.

    L

    Langbarðaland
  • A Byzantine province in Southern Italy, formerly ruled by the Longobards. The Varangian troops deployed there were remembered in the Italy runestones.
    Leifsbuðir
  • "Leif's temporary shelters". A settlement in Vinland.
    Ljóðhús
  • "song house"?[13] Isle of Lewis in the United Kingdom.

    M

    Madksjo
  • "Sea of worms". Sea near Vinland.
    Markland
  • "Forest Land". A land south of Helluland in North America.
    Meginzuborg
  • Mainz
    Melansborg, Meilangsborg
  • Milan
    Miklagarðr
  • "Big stronghold". Constantinople.
    *Miliniska, Μιλινισκα
  • Smolensk
    Myrkviðr
  • "Dark wood"[14] or "black forest".[15] The name of several European forests.

    N

    Namsborg, Nancsaborg
  • Nantes
    Niflungaland
  • Related to mist. The land of the Nibelungs, the kingdom of the Burgundians.
    Njorvasund
  • -narrow straight; The Strait of Gibraltar
    Norðreyjar
  • "Northern islands", Orkney and Shetland.
    *Nýgarðr
  • "New enclosure", a proposed etymology for Veliky Novgorod.

    O

    Orkneyjar
  • "Seal islands". Orkney.[16]
    Öxnafurða
  • "Oxen's ford". Oxford
    Papar
  • Irish monks found by the Norsemen in Iceland and Faroe.

    P

    Palteskja
  • After the Polota river. Polotsk in Belarus.
    Peituborg
  • Poitiers.

    R

    Ráðstofa
  • Rostov
    Reidgotaland, Reidgothland, Reidgotland, Hreidgotaland or Hreiðgotaland
  • Hreiðr can mean "bird's nest", but hreið- is also a name-prefix meaning "beautiful", "eager", "great", "famous", "noble". Another possibility is that it was originally reið "ride, journey". The same tribal name was used for the Gutes of Gotland. The identification of the territory varies between the sources: the island of Gotland, Götaland, the land of the Goths, i.e. Gothiscandza, Denmark and Sweden, Jutland. The Hreidgoths (hraiðgutum) may also be the Ostrogoths in south-eastern Europe.
    Rothemadum
  • Rothomagum, Rouen in the Haakon Haakonssøns saga.[17]
    Norse, Old: [[Rothesay]]
  • "Roth's island", "Rother's Isle" or a corruption of the Gaelic Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic: rath meaning "fort".[18] [19] Isle of Bute, Scotland.
    Rúðuborg, Rúða
  • Rouen

    S

    Sandey
  • Iona
    saxar
  • Related to Proto-Germanic *sahsą ("knife, dagger"). The Saxons.
    Saxelfr
  • "Saxon Elbe". The river Elbe.
    Saxland
  • "Land of the Saxons". Germany.[20]
    Skarðaborg
  • "Fortified place of Thorgils Skarthi" or "gap hill". Scarborough, North Yorkshire.[21]
    Seeburg
  • Grobiņa in Latvia.
    Seljupollar
  • A Guarda
    Serkland, Særkland, Srklant, Sirklant, Serklat
  • "Land of the Saracens". The Middle East, sometimes Georgia. Mentioned in the Serkland Runestones.
    Norse, Old: Signa
  • Seine
    Norse, Old: [[Skíð]],[22] Norse, Old: [[Skuy]], Norse, Old: *Skýey, or Norse, Old: Skuyö[23]
  • "Misty isle", "cloud isle".[23] Skye, Scotland.
    Skræling
  • From skrækja, meaning "bawl, shout, or yell"[24] or from, meaning "dried skin", in reference to the animal pelts worn by the Inuit. The name the Norse Greenlanders gave the previous inhabitants of North America and Greenland.
    Skuggifjord
  • Hudson Strait
    Straumfjörð
  • "Current-fjord", "Stream-fjord" or "Tide-fjord". A fjord in Vinland. Straumsey ("Current-isle") lies at the mouth of Straumfjörð.
    Suðreyjar
  • "Southern islands". Hebrides.
    Suðrvegr
  • "South way", Germany.[25]
    Susat
  • Soest, Germany
    Súrsdalar
  • Suzdal

    T

    Tarlungaland
  • Probably a corruption of Karlungaland, i.e., the land of the Carolingians.[26]
    Τελιουτζα
  • Liubech
    Túskaland
  • Touraine
    Tyrfing
  • The Thervingi Goths.
    Tyrvist
  • Tiree
    Τζερνιγωγα
  • Chernihiv

    V

    Valland
  • "Land of the *
    • Walhaz
    ". Land of the Celtic- and Romance-speaking peoples.
    Vendland
  • "Land of the Wends". Slavic areas East from Lübeck.
    Vernisa
  • Worms, Germany.
    vestmenn
  • "Westmen", the Gaels of Ireland and Britain.
    Vikinglow, Wykynlo
  • Wicklow
    Vindau
  • Ventspils in Latvia. Named after the Venta River.
    Vineta
  • A mythical city in the Baltic of disputed location.
    Vínland
  • "Wine land", "pasture land". The area of coastal North America explored by Norse Vikings.
    Vitaholmr
  • "demarcation islet", Vytachiv

    See also

    References

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893) Orkneyinga Saga. Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin & Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. James Thin and Mercat Press (1990 reprint).
    2. Book: Steinsland . Gro . Meulengracht Sørensen . P . Människor och makter i vikingarnas värld . 1998 . Ordfront . 91-7324-591-7 . 162. Gro Steinsland .
    3. http://diskobayarcticstation.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/the-old-viking-name-of-disko-island-is-indeed-bear-island-bjorn-oya/ The old viking name of Disko Island is indeed Bear Island (Bjørn Øya)
    4. Book: Bellows . Henry Adams . Henry Adams Bellows (businessman) . The Poetic Edda . 1936 . 484 . en . Atlakvitha En Grönlenzka . Danp: this name was early applied to a mythical Danish king (cf. Rigsthula, 49 and note) but it may have been fabricated by error out of the word "Danparstaþir" (the phrase here used is "staþi Danpar"), used in the Hervararsaga of a field of battle between the Goths and the Huns, and quite possibly referring to the region of the Dnieper..
    5. [A. Harry Griffin]
    6. Web site: The Cronicle of the Hanseatic League . european-heritage.org. September 10, 2015.
    7. Web site: The Norse Discovery of America: Book II. Icelandic Records: Saga of Thorfinn Karlsefne.
    8. [Jónas Kristjánsson]
    9. Web site: shetland Origin and meaning of shetland by Online Etymology Dictionary . www.etymonline.com . 7 May 2020 . Hjaltland . en.
    10. http://fetlaraerial.com/2014/08/hjaltland-shetland-yet-land-1871/ Hjaltland – Shetland – ‘yet, land!” – 1871
    11. Early Norse Poetry - Translations of the Breton Lays . The Dublin Review . September 1850 . 87 . 7 May 2020 . London : W. Spooner . en.
    12. Book: Hughes . AJ . Hannan . RJ . 1992 . Place-Names of Northern Ireland . Two, County Down II, The Ards . Belfast . The Queen's University of Belfast . 085389-450-7.
    13. Irish: Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 80
    14. Simek (2007:224)
    15. Gentry (2002:101—102)
    16. Web site: orkney Origin and meaning of the name orkney by Online Etymology Dictionary . www.etymonline.com . 7 May 2020 . en.
    17. Book: Bugge . Alexander . Alexander Bugge . Haakon Haakonssòns saga . 1914 . I.M. Stenersens Forlag . Kristiania . 7 May 2020 . sv . (850) D. e. Rouen i Normandie, som paa latin heter Rothomagum, og neppe, som andre mener, valfartsstedet Rocamadour nord for Cahors i Sydfrankrike; denne by ligger for langt vest, til at kongsdatteren har kunnet komme forbi den..
    18. Johnston, James B (1892) “Place-Names Of Scotland” . Edinburgh: David Douglas. Archive.org. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
    19. Coventry, Martin (2008) Castles of the Clans. Musselburgh. Goblinshead. p. 545
    20. Book: XML version of Zoega's Old Icelandic dictionary, saxland . 7 May 2020.
    21. Web site: scarborough Origin and meaning of the name scarborough by Online Etymology Dictionary . www.etymonline.com . 7 May 2020 . en.
    22. https://archive.today/20120714045019/http://sagnanet.is/saganet/?MIval=/SinglePage&Manuscript=100391&Page=882&language=english "Haakon Haakonsøns Saga"
    23. Murray (1966) The Hebrides. p. 146.
    24. Book: Ernst Hakon Jahr. Ingvild Broch . Language Contact in the Arctic: Northern Pidgins and Contact Languages . 1 January 1996 . Walter de Gruyter . 978-3-11-081330-2. 233.
    25. Web site: Norway . Etymonline . 2020-04-25.
    26. Book: Haymes, Edward R. (trans.) . The Saga of Thidrek of Bern . 1988 . Garland . New York . 0-8240-8489-6 . 100.

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