Howdy! Last week we learned about the many languages the Vikings spoke and wrote. This week we'll take a deeper dive into Old Norse and Scandinavian place names. Hope you enjoy digging in!
As we learned last week, Old Norse languagewas derived from the West Norse (Scandinavian) dialect and is also known as Old Icelandic. Eventually it was replaced by other languages such as English. Through place names we can still see the Old Norse influence.
The word "viking" may have come from the Old Norse word "vÍkingr" which meant seafarer from the vÍk arean of Norway. You can see in the map above the Vik municipality that still exists off the Sognefjord.
Ireland is littered with Old Norse place names uch as Wexford, Fota, Selskar, Tuskar, Dursey, Wicklow, Howth, Carlingord, and Lambay.
Scandinavian and Old Norse place names are scattered throughout England as well. The suffix -by means "settlement" in Old Norse. "Lund" means "grove of trees" in Old Norse.
Scandinavian -thorpe meant "village, hamlet".
Close to the city of Birkenhead, on the peninsula of Wirral, there are several Old Norse place names.
Tranmere - "sandbank where cranes gather"
Irby - Irish settlement
Thingwall - "field where the thing meets" where thing refers to their assembly
Meols - "sandbank"
The Vikings called the very top tip of the United Kingdom "hvarf" or "turning point". Today it's known as Cape Wrath. They called the Hebrides "Sudreys" or "southern islands".
Scotland contains many Viking place names as well. Scandinavian -ness meant "point, headland". Words "Ting" and "Tyn" both repesent "Thing" or assembly.
Picture References:
Ireland, England Maps - Google Maps
Hebrides - By Kelisi, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=541156
References:
"Everyday Life in Viking Times" by Michael Gibson, ISBN#0-7500-1472-5
