Old Norse words from Proto-Norse
8 Old Norse words with Proto-Norse in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
ek
It is inherited from Proto-Norse ᛖᚲ (ek, “I”), from Proto-Germanic *ek (“I”). The pronoun has the same shape across Germanic: Gothic 𐌹𐌺 (ik), Old English ic, Old Frisian ik, Old Saxon ik and Old…
fár
1. The word for “few” is inherited from Proto-Germanic *fawaz (“few”), the source also of Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍃 (faus), Old English fēa, Old Saxon fā and Old High German fō. Kroonen derives it from a…
fjǫrðr
It is inherited from Proto-Norse *ᚠᛖᚱᚦᚢᛉ (*ferþuʀ), from Proto-Germanic *ferþuz (“inlet”). Kroonen and Orel take it as the full grade of the noun behind Old English ford and Old High German furt…
gestr
It is inherited from Proto-Norse ᚷᚨᛊᛏᛁᛉ (gastiʀ), known from names on Proto-Norse inscriptions, from Proto-Germanic *gastiz (“guest”). The other Germanic languages have Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍃𐍄𐍃 (gasts), Old…
reisa
It is inherited from Proto-Norse ᚱᛡᛁᛋᛁᛞᛟ (raisidō), from Proto-Germanic *raisijaną (“to cause to rise, raise”), the causative of Proto-Germanic *rīsaną (“to rise”), which gave rísa. It is formed as…
rún
It is inherited from Proto-Norse ᚱᚢᚾᛟ (runo), from Proto-Germanic *rūnō (“secret, mystery”). The Germanic noun is also Gothic 𐍂𐌿𐌽𐌰 (runa, “mystery, secret”), Old English rūn (“whisper, secret…
steinn
It is inherited from Proto-Norse ᛊᛏᚨᛁᚾᚨᛉ (stainaʀ), from Proto-Germanic *stainaz (“stone”). The Proto-Germanic noun survives across the family: Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (stains), Old English stān, Old Frisian…
þar
It is inherited from Proto-Norse ᚦᚨᚱ (þar), from Proto-Germanic *þar (“there”). The adverb is found across Germanic: Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐍂 (þar), Old English þǣr, Old Frisian thēr, Old Saxon thār and Old High…