The Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English Dictionary

Welcome to Old Norse Dictionary, your ultimate resource for exploring the rich linguistic heritage of the Norse language. Our online platform features the complete, classic Old Norse / Old Icelandic dictionary by Richard Cleasby & Gudbrand Vigfusson, first published in 1874.

As the largest and most comprehensive Old Norse to English dictionary available online, our resource boasts over 35,000 entries with detailed English definitions.

Whether you're a scholar, student, or enthusiast of Scandinavian history and language, our Old Norse Dictionary provides invaluable insights into the medieval Norse texts and culture. Explore the depths of the Norse language with our user-friendly interface, designed to make your research easy and effective. Discover the rich vocabulary, grammar, and historical context of the Norse language today at oldnorsedictionary.com.

What is Old Norse?

Old Norse is a dead language, that was the father of modern languages like Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Faroese and Elfdalian.

It was spoken by Scandinavians during the Viking Age, making it the "language of vikings".

A sample of Old Norse:

En er þessi tíðindi verða, þástendr upp Heimdallr ok blæss ákafliga í Gjallarhorn ok vekr upp ǫll guðin, ok eiga þau þing saman. þá ríðr Óðinn til Mímisbrunns ok tekr ráð af Mími fyrir sér ok sínu liði. þá skelfr askr Yggdrasils, ok engi hlutr er þá óttalauss á himni eða jǫrðu. Æsir herklæða sik ok allir Einherjar ok sœkja fram á vǫlluna. ríðr fyrstr Óðinn með gullhjálm ok fagra brynju ok geir sinn er Gungnir heitir. Stefnir hann móti Fenrisúlf, en Þórr fram á aðra hlið honum, ok má hann ekki duga honum, því at hann hefir fullt fang at berjask við Miðgarðs-orm.

Excerpt from "About Ragnarøk" in Gylfaginning chapter 51, Prose Edda. Prose Edda was written around 1220, but the stories and poems are thought to be composed over longer period of time, the eldest ones linguistically dating back to the 9th century.

Features of Old Norse Dictionary

Comprehensive Database: Largest online Old Norse to English dictionary.Over 35,000 entries with precise translations and definitions.

Authentic Language: Discover words as they were used during the Viking Age.Essential for studying Old Norse language, literature, and history

Cognate References: Find unique, historically-accurate English translations.

Dual Representation: Provides alternative word forms using modern Icelandic practices.

How to Use Old Norse Dictionary

Visit the Website: Go to oldnorsedictionary.com.

Search for a Word: Use the search bar to find Old Norse words.

View Definitions: Explore detailed definitions and word origins.

Alternative Spelling: Check alternative spellings for a comprehensive understanding.

How Does It Work?

The Old Norse Dictionary leverages the historical Cleasby & Vigfusson compendium. Its algorithms provide alternative forms for words, ensuring you're seeing authentic translations that maintain the linguistic integrity of the original texts.

Written language of the dictionary

The dictionary was published in the late 1800's, making the language of the definitions a bit old fashioned. The author also seemed to prefer cognates, meaning that definition may use lesser known English word that happens to have more similar root to the Old Norse word. For example, spyrja is not simply "to ask", but instead "to speer", which is an older English word meaning the same thing.

The Cleasby & Vigfusson book also used modern Icelandic practice of using letter ö to represent the original Old Norse vowel ǫ. Whenever this letter appears in a headword, an automatic alternative form is also provided.

For example, völlr would become vǫllr.