Old Norse

Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements from about the 7th to the 15th centuries.

Origins

The Proto-Norse language developed into Old Norse by the 8th century, and Old Norse began to develop into the modern North Germanic languages in the mid-to-late 14th century, ending the language phase known as Old Norse. These dates, however, are not absolute, since written Old Norse is found well into the 15th century.

Dialects

Old Norse was divided into three dialects: Old West Norse, Old East Norse, and Old Gutnish. Old West and East Norse formed a dialect continuum, with no clear geographical boundary between them. For example, Old East Norse traits were found in eastern Norway, although Old Norwegian is classified as Old West Norse, and Old West Norse traits were found in western Sweden. Most speakers spoke Old East Norse in what is present day Denmark and Sweden. Old Gutnish, the more divergent dialect, is sometimes included in the Old East Norse dialect due to geographical associations.

Influence

Old Norse had an influence on the English language. Many words, including even the pronoun they, were borrowed from Old Norse. When the Anglo-Saxons borrowed Norse words, they, in turn, lent their own words to the Norse speakers. This interaction caused a certain amount of mutual intelligibility between Old Norse and Old English.

Literature

The 12th and 13th centuries were a golden age of literature in Norway, with sagas and other literary genres reaching their peak. The Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda, among other works, were written in Old Norse and are invaluable sources for understanding Scandinavian mythology.

See also

• Old Norse literature
• Old Norse morphology
• Old Norse phonology
• Old Norse religion
• Old Norse runes

External links

• Old Norse to English dictionary
• English to Old Norse dictionary

Old Norse Resources
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