“The total vocabulary of the sagas is surprisingly small. There are only 12,400 different words in the corpus of the family sagas out of a total word count of almost 750,000. The 70 most frequently used words account for nearly 450,000 or 60% of the total word count… the greatest benefit is found in learning the top 246 words.” – Jesse L. Byock, Viking Language 1
The Old Norse vocabulary below compiles the 246 most common Old Norse words that appear in the family sagas.
Additional grammars, and vocabularies can be found as part of the Viking Language Series.
Bolded Old Norse words are among the 70 most frequent words in the sagas.
Table of Contents
— A/Á —
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| af | of; from | preposition |
| aldri | never | adverb |
| allr | all | pronoun |
| annarr | other; second | pronoun |
| aptr | back | adverb |
| at | that | conjunction |
| auðigr | wealthy | adjective |
| á | on; onto | preposition |
| áðr | before | adverb |
—B —
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| bak | back | noun |
| báðir | both | pronoun |
| bera | to carry, bear | verb |
| biðja | to ask; tell | verb |
| bjóða | to offer; invite | verb |
| bóndi | farmer | noun |
| brott | away | adverb |
| bróðir | brother | noun |
| bú | farm | noun |
| búa | to live, dwell; prepare | verb |
| bæði | both | conjunction |
| bœr | farm | noun |
—D —
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| dagr | day | noun |
| dauðr | dead | adjective |
| dóttir | daughter | noun |
| drepa | to kill | verb |
—E —
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| eða | or | conjunction |
| ef | if | preposition |
| eiga | to own | verb |
| eigi | not | adverb |
| einhverr | someone | pronoun |
| einn | one (1) | numeral |
| ek | I | pronoun |
| ekki | not | adverb |
| en | but | conjunction |
| enda | and yet | conjunction |
| engi | no (one) | pronoun |
| enn | yet, still, moreover | preposition |
| eptir | after | adverb |
| er | who, which, that; when; where | conjunction |
—F —
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| faðir | father | noun |
| fagr | beautiful | adjective |
| falla | to fall | verb |
| fara | to go, travel | verb |
| fá | to get, obtain | verb |
| fár | few | pronoun |
| ferð | journey | noun |
| fé | wealth; livestock | noun |
| fimm | five (5) | numeral |
| fimmtán | fifteen (15) | numeral |
| finna | to find | verb |
| fjórir | four (4) | numeral |
| fjǫlmennr | well attended; numerous | adjective |
| fótr | foot | noun |
| fram | forward | adverb |
| frá | from | preposition |
| fríðr | beautiful | adjective |
| frændi | kinsman | noun |
| fullr | full | adjective |
| fundr | meeting | noun |
| fyrir | before; for | preposition |
| fyrr | before | adverb |
| fyrri | former | adjective |
—G —
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| gamall | old | adjective |
| ganga | to walk | verb |
| gefa | to give | verb |
| gera | to do; make | verb |
| geta | to get, beget | verb |
| góðr | good | adjective |
| gǫfugr | noble | adjective |
—H —
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| hafa | to have | verb |
| halda | to hold | verb |
| hann | he, it | pronoun |
| harðr | hard | adjective |
| hálfr | half | adjective |
| heill | whole | adjective |
| heim | (to) home | adverb |
| heita | to call; be named | verb |
| heldr | rather | adverb |
| hestr | horse | noun |
| hér | here | adverb |
| hinn | the other | pronoun |
| hjá | by, near | preposition |
| hlaupa | to leap; run | verb |
| hlutr | thing; part | noun |
| hon | she, it | pronoun |
| hús | house | noun |
| hvárgi | neither | pronoun |
| hvárr | who, which (of two)? | pronoun |
| hvárrtveggi | each of the two | pronoun |
| hvárt | whether | adverb |
| hverr | each, every; who? | pronoun |
| hversu | how | adverb |
| hǫfuð | head | noun |
| hǫggva | to strike | verb |
| hǫnd | hand | noun |
— I/Í/J—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| illa | badly | adverb |
| illr | bad, ill | adjective |
| inn | inside | adverb |
| í | in; into | preposition |
| jarl | earl | noun |
—K—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| kalla | to call | verb |
| koma | to come | verb |
| kona | woman | noun |
| konungr | king | noun |
| kostr | choice | noun |
| kunnigr | known; cunning; skilled in magic | adjective |
| kveða | to speak | verb |
| kveld | evening | noun |
| kyrr | quiet | adjective |
—L—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| land | land | noun |
| langr | long | adjective |
| lauss | loose, free | adjective |
| láta | to let | verb |
| leggja | to lay, place | verb |
| leið | path | noun |
| leita | to search | verb |
| lengi | for a long time | adverb |
| lið | following, troops | noun |
| liggja | to lie | verb |
| líkligr | likely | adverb |
| líkr | alike | adjective |
| lítill | little | adjective |
—M—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| maðr | man, person | noun |
| margr | many | adjective |
| mál | speech; case, matter | noun |
| með | with | preposition |
| mega | may | verb |
| miðr | middle | adjective |
| mikill | great | adjective |
| mikit | greatly | adverb |
| milli | between | preposition |
| minn | my | pronoun |
| mjǫk | very | adverb |
| morginn | morning | noun |
| móðir | mother | noun |
| móti | against | preposition |
| munu | will | verb |
| mæla | to speak | verb |
—N—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| nema | except | conjugation |
| né | nor | conjugation |
| niðr | down | adverb |
| nótt | night | noun |
| nú | now | adverb |
| nær | nearly | adverb |
| næstr | next | adjective |
| nǫkkurr | some, a certain | adj. pronoun |
—O/Ó—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| ofan | from above | adverb |
| ok | and | conjunction |
| okkarr | us (dual) | pronoun |
| orð | word | noun |
| ór | out of, from | preposition |
—R—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| ráð | advice; plan | noun |
| ráða | to advise; rule | verb |
| reiðr | angry | adjective |
| réttr | right, correct | adjective |
| ríða | to ride | verb |
| ríkr | powerful | adjective |
—S—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| saman | together | adverb |
| samr | same | adjective |
| sannr | TRUE | adjective |
| sá | that (one) | dem. pronoun |
| sárr | wounded | adjective |
| segja | to say | verb |
| sekr | guilty | adjective |
| sem | who, which, that; as | rel. particle |
| senda | to send | verb |
| setja | to set | verb |
| sex | six | numeral |
| sik | him, himself, themselves | refl. pronoun |
| sinn | his/her/their (own) | poss. pronoun |
| sinn | time | noun |
| sitja | to sit | verb |
| síðan | then | adverb |
| sjau | seven | numeral |
| sjá | this | dem. pronoun |
| sjá | to see | verb |
| sjálfr | self | adj. pronoun |
| skammr | short; brief | adjective |
| skilja | to part, separate; understand | verb |
| skip | ship | noun |
| skjǫldr | shield | noun |
| skulu | shall | verb |
| skyldr | related; necessary, obliged | adjective |
| slíkr | such | adjective |
| sonr | son | noun |
| spjót | spear | noun |
| spyrja | to ask; learn | verb |
| standa | to stand | verb |
| sterkr | strong | adjective |
| stórr | big | adjective |
| sumar | summer | noun |
| sumr | some | adj. pronoun |
| svara | to answer | verb |
| svá | so; such | adverb |
| sveinn | boy, lad | noun |
| sverð | sword | noun |
| sœkja | to seek | verb |
| sǫk | cause, reason | noun |
—T—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| taka | to take | verb |
| til | to | preposition |
| tíðindi | news, tidings | noun |
| tíu | ten | numeral |
| tólf | twelve | numeral |
| tveir | two | numeral |
—U/Ú —
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| um | about | preposition |
| undir | under | preposition |
| ungr | young | adjective |
| upp | up | adverb |
| út | out | adverb |
| útan | from out | adverb |
—V—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| vanr | accustomed | adjective |
| varr | aware | adjective |
| vándr | bad | adjective |
| vápn | weapon | noun |
| vár | spring | noun |
| várr | our | pronoun |
| veita | to grant | verb |
| vel | well | adverb |
| vera | to be | verb |
| verða | to become | verb |
| verðr | worthy | adjective |
| vetr | winter | noun |
| við | with; against | preposition |
| vilja | to want | verb |
| vinr | friend | noun |
| vinsæll | popular | adjective |
| vita | to know | verb |
| vitr | wise | adjective |
| víg | slaying | noun |
| vísa | verse | noun |
| víss | certain; wise | adjective |
| vænn | beautiful | adjective |
—Y—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| yðr | you (plural) | pronoun |
| yfir | over | adverb |
—Þ—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| þangat | to there | adverb |
| þar | there | adverb |
| þá | then | adverb |
| þegar | at once | adverb |
| þing | assembly | noun |
| þinn | you | poss. pronoun |
| þó | nevertheless | conjunction |
| þótt | although | conjunction |
| þrír | three | numeral |
| þú | you | pronoun |
| þykkja | to seem | verb |
—Æ—
| Old Norse Word | Basic English Definition | Part of Speech |
| ætla | to intend | verb |
Want to learn more? Check out Jules William Press.
Jules William Press is a small press devoted to publishing the best about the Viking Age, Old Norse, and the Atlantic and Northern European regions. Jules William Press was founded in 2013 to address the needs of modern students, teachers, and self-learners for accessible and affordable Old Norse texts. JWP began by publishing our Viking Language Series, which provides a modern course in Old Norse, with exercises and grammar that anyone can understand. This spirit motivates all of our publications, as we expand our catalogue to include Viking archaeology and history, as well as Scandinavian historical fiction and our Saga Series.
How can I help support Awaken the North?
Awaken the North is a family and we are dedicated to helping each other grow. The only way we are able to accomplish this is through the generous financial support of our members. Every single one of our Council, Chairs, and support staff are purely VOLUNTEERS. Not a single person benefits financially from any funds within Awaken the North. Even Beast, the Leader, doesn’t get a dime. All funds are directed back into Awaken the North to pay for the website, buy supplies, help support our members, etc.
We are so very, VERY grateful to our members who help support us! If you are looking for ways to help Awaken the North, please see the options below.