Old Norse

Old Norse was an old language spoken by people in Scandinavia. It was used from about the 8th to the 14th centuries.

People in places like Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Iceland spoke Old Norse. It was also used in areas where Norse people settled, like Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

We learn about Old Norse from old writings. These include runic inscriptions and books written with the Latin alphabet. Famous texts like the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda tell stories and myths from that time.

Old Norse changed over time into the languages we speak today. Icelandic and Faroese are very close to Old Norse. Other languages like Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish also came from Old Norse.

Many words in English come from Old Norse. Words like egg, sky, and window all have roots in this ancient language. This shows how Old Norse helped shape the languages we use now.