There are a lot of Old Norse words scattered about in the Danethrall Trilogy, so I thought I’d compile a list. This list is bound to expand, but, for now, I’m only including the Old Norse featured in Danethrall, the first book in the trilogy. At the end of this list, there will be a pronunciation table and a list of wonderful Old Norse dictionary websites (including a pretty awesome one that will teach you plenty of Old Norse cuss words and phrases).
In alphabetical order, Old Norse on the left, translations on the right:
| Æsir | One of two principal tribes of deities in Old Norse pantheon |
| Afi | Grandfather |
| Álfar | Elves |
| Amma | Grandmother |
| Argr | Unmanly |
| Blót | Sacrifice |
| Danegeld | Tax raised to pay tribute to Viking raiders to stop land from being ravaged |
| Dísir | Female spirits |
| Dóttir | Daughter |
| Faðir | Father |
| Góða nótt | Good night |
| Góðan morgin | Good morning |
| Gott kveld | Good evening |
| handsal | Sealing a deal with a handclasp |
| Hnefatafl | The King’s Table |
| Hnefi | King |
| Hof | Sacred place/temple |
| Hofgoði | Temple priest |
| Holumenn | Ordinary crew members on warships |
| Hrafnasueltir | Raven starver, coward |
| Hustrulinet | Long white headdress worn by married women |
| Já | Yes |
| Jorvik | York |
| Jötnar | Plural of jötunn |
| Jötunn | Giant |
| Landvættir | Land wights |
| Midsumarblót | Midsummer sacrifice |
| Miklagarðr | Constantinople |
| Móðir | Mother |
| Mundr | Bride price |
| Nei | No |
| Nú | Now |
| Seiðr | Old Norse sorcery, a form of magic relating to fortune telling and shaping future |
| Slápr | Good for nothing, lazy person |
| Þakka | Thanks/thank you |
| Tik | Bitch, female dog |
| Vættir | Spirits |
| Vanir | One of two principal tribes of deities in Old Norse pantheon |
I found this amazing alphabet pronunciation guide from a website called Ræðu Víkings. The website also provides a bunch of different phrases in Old Norse, really worth checking out. Here’s the alphabet from the site:
The difference between single letters and double letters: first off, a single L sounds just as it does in English. Double L makes a sound similar to the tl in little, but think of it more like jamming your tongue up to the back of your upper teeth and blowing out air around it. Single N sounds just as it does in English, but a double N is pronounced with a slight D, followed by the N, as in loud noise. Double Bs, Ds, Fs, Gs, Ks, Ms, Ps, Ss, and Ts are pronounced twice as long as their single counterparts.
A a as in far
Á á as in cow
B b as in pit (partway between English B and P)
D d as in take (partway between English D and T)
Ð ð as in this
E e as in let
É é as is yes
F f as in fang
G g as in gown
H h as in hide
I i as in tin
Í í as in machine
J j as in year
K k as in kiss
L l as in land
M m as in mate
N n as in now
O o as in old
Ó ó as in no
Ö ö as in fur
P p as in pit
R r as in ransom; however Rs should be heavily trilled (rolled) and tapped
S s as in size; never as a Z
T t as in take
U u as in look
Ú ú as in new
V v as in visit (partway between English V and W)
X x as in box
Y y pronounced the same as I i, but with pursed lips
Ý ý pronounced the same as Í í, but with pursed lips
Z z as in lots
Þ þ as in thing
Æ æ as in fire
Œ œ see Æ æ
Ø ø see Ö ö
Ǫ ǫ see Ö öAu – boy (think öj)
Ei/ey – play
Hv – kf as in thankful
Fn – pn as in nap now
Vn – bn as in crab night
Ng – as in English; always pronounce the g
Dj – pronounced as English j followed by English y
Sj – pronounced as English sh followed by English y
Tj – pronounced as English ch followed by English y
Bb/dd/ff/gg/kk/ll/mm/nn/pp/ss/tt – see above*important tip: the first syllable is ALWAYS stressed
Here is a list of Old Norse dictionaries:
Old Norse Tongue
Vikings of Bjornstad
Glosbe English – Old Norse
Ross G. Arthur at Yorku.ca
Old Norse Lessons for Beginners (Notendur)
How to Curse in Old Norse
Gwendoline SK Terry 