# List of English words of Old Norse origin

Words of Old Norse origin have entered the English language, primarily from the contact between Old Norse and Old English during colonisation of eastern and northern England between the mid 9th to the 11th centuries (see also Danelaw). Many of these words are part of English core vocabulary, such as egg or knife. There are hundreds of such words, and the list below does not aim at completeness.
To be distinguished from loan words which date back to the Old English period are modern Old Norse loans originating in the context of Old Norse philology, such as kenning (1871), and loans from modern Icelandic (such as geyser, 1781). Yet another class comprises loans from Old Norse into Old French, which via Anglo-Norman were then indirectly loaned into Middle English; an example is flâneur, via French from the Old Norse verb flana "to wander aimlessly".
* Top
* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z
* See also
* External links

## A
### ado

    influenced by Norse at ("to", infinitive marker) which was used with English "do" in certain English dialects

### aloft

* á ("=in, on, to") + lopt ("=air, atmosphere, sky, heaven, upper floor, loft")
* English provenance = c 1200 AD

### anger

* angr ("=trouble, affliction"); root ang (="strait, straitened, troubled")
* English provenance = c 1250 AD

### are

    merger of Old English (earun, earon) and Old Norse (er) cognates

### auk

    A type of Arctic seabird.

### awe

* agi ("=terror")
* English provenance = c 1205 AD (as aȝe, an early form of the word resulting from the influence of Old Norse on an existing Anglo-Saxon form, eȝe)

### awesome

    From the same Norse root as "awe".

### awful

    From the same Norse root as "awe".

### awkward

    the first element is from Old Norse ǫfugr ("=turned-backward"), the '-ward' part is from Old English weard

### awn

    From Old Norse ögn

### axle

    May be a combination of Old English eax and Old Norse öxull (="axis")

## B
### bag

    baggi

### bait

    beita

### band

    band (="rope")

### bank (geography)

    from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse banki, Old Danish banke (="sandbank").

### bark

    bǫrkr

### bash

    From Old Norse *basca (="to strike")

### bask

    baðask reflex. of baða "bathe" (baðast, baða sig)

### bat (animal)

    probably related to Old Swedish natbakka, Old Danish nathbakkæ "night bat," and Old Norse leðrblaka "bat," literally "leather flapper".

### berserk

    berserkr, lit. 'bear-shirt', (alt. berr-serkr, 'bare-shirt') frenzied warriors

### billow

    bylgja

### birth

    byrðr

### blather

    Probably from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse blaðra (="mutter, wag the tongue")

### bleak

    bleikr (="pale")

### blend

    Possibly from Old Norse blanda (="to mix")

### blister

    From a Scandinavian source via Old French

### bloat

    From a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse blautr (="soaked, soft from being cooked in liquid")

### bloom

    "blossom of a plant," c. 1200, a northern word, from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse blomi "flower, blossom".

### blunder

    blundra (="shut one's eye")

### boast

    Probably from a Scandinavian source via Anglo-French

### bole

    From Old Norse bolr (="tree trunk")

### both

    baðir

### boon

    bon (="a petition, prayer")

### booth

    From Old Danish boþ (="temporary dwelling"), from East Norse *boa (="to dwell")

### boulder

    from a Scandinavian source akin to Swedish dialectal bullersten "noisy stone" (large stone in a stream, causing water to roar around it), from bullra "to roar" + sten "stone".

### brink

    Possibly related to Danish brink (="steepness, shore, bank, grassy edge")

### brisket

    perhaps from Old French bruschet, with identical sense of the English word, or from Old Norse brjosk "gristle, cartilage" (related to brjost "breast") or Danish bryske

### brunt

    Likely from Old Norse brundr (="sexual heat") or bruna =("to advance like wildfire")

### bulk

    bulki

### bull

    boli

### bump

    Perhaps from Scandinavian, probably echoic

### bur

    From a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse burst (="bristle")

### bylaw

    bylög ('by'=village; 'lög'=law; 'village-law')

## C
### cake

    kaka (="cake")

### call

    kalla (="cry loudly")

### cart

    From Old Norse kartr or a similar Scandinavian source

### cast

    kasta (="to throw")

### chubby

    Perhaps influenced by Old Norse kumba "log", kumben "stumpy".

### clip

    klippa (="to cut")

### club

    klubba (="cudgel")

### clumsy

    From a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse klumsa (="make speechless, palsy; prevent from speaking")

### cog

    Probably a Scandinavian borrowing, related to Norwegian kugg

### cozy

    Likely of Scandinavian origin via Scots, perhaps related to Norwegian kose seg

### crawl

    krafla (="to claw")

### craze

    Possibly from Old Norse krasa (="shatter") via Old French crasir

### creek

    kriki ("corner, nook") through ME creke ("narrow inlet in a coastline") altered from kryk perhaps influenced by Anglo-Norman crique itself from a Scandinavian source via Norman-French

### crochet

    from Old Norse krokr "hook" via French crochet "small hook; canine tooth"

### crocket

    from the same Norse root as "crochet" via French.

### crook

    krokr (="hook-shaped instrument or weapon")

### crotch

    from Old North French croche "shepherd's crook," variant of croc "hook," from Old Norse krokr "hook".

### crotchet, crotchety

    from Old Norse krokr "hook" via Old French crochet.

### crouch

    from the same Norse root as "crochet" via French.

### cur

    kurra (="to growl")

### cut

    Possibly from North Germanic *kut-

## D
### dangle

    Probably from Scandinavian, related to Danish dangle, Swedish dangla (="to swing about") and Norwegian dangla

### dank

    Related to Swedish dank (="moist place") and dänka (="to moisten")

### dash, dashing

    Probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Swedish daska, Danish daske "to beat, strike")

### dastard, dastardly

    Probably from *dast, "dazed," past participle of dasen "to daze" or the equivalent past participle in Old Norse + deprecatory suffix -ard.

### daze, dazed

    Perhaps from Old Norse *dasa

### die

    deyja (="pass away")

### dirt

    drit (="feces")

### down (feathers)

    "first feathers of a baby bird; soft covering of fowls under the feathers, the under-plumage of birds," used for stuffing pillows and feather-beds, mid-14c., from Old Norse dunn, which is of uncertain origin.

### doze

    Probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Old Norse dusa "to doze," Danish døse "to make dull," Swedish dialectal dusa "to sleep").

### dregs

    dregg (="sediment")

### droop

    From Old Norse drupa (="to drop, sink, hang (the head)")

### dump

    Possibly related to Danish dumpe (="fall hard"), Norwegian dumpa (="to fall suddenly"), and Old Norse dumpa (="to beat"). Not found in Old English.

## E
### egg

    egg (="egg")

### eider

    a type of duck.

### equip, equipment

    skipa (="organize, arrange, place in order") through Middle French équiper, from Old French esquiper "fit out a ship, load on board", itself from Norman-French esquipper, eschiper

## F
### fell (geography)

    from Old Norse fiall "mountain"

### fellow

    félagi

### filly

    Possibly from Old Norse fylja, fem. of foli (="foal")

### fir

    from Old Norse fyri- "fir" or Old Danish fyr.

### firth

    From Old Norse fjörðr via Scottish

### fjord

    From Norwegian fiord, from Old Norse fjörðr (="an inlet, estuary")

### flag

    Probably from Old Norse flaka (="to flicker, flutter, hang loose")

### flaneur

    flana ("to wander aimlessly") + French suffix -eur through (19th cent.) French flâneur, itself from Norman-French flaner, flanner

### flat

    flatr

### flaunt

    Related to Swedish flankt (="loosely, flutteringly") and flakka (="to waver")

### flaw

    From Old Norse flaga (="stone slab, layer of stone")

### fleck

    Probably from Old Norse flekka (="to spot, stain, cover with spots")

### fling

    Probably from Old Norse flengja

### flit

    flytja (="cause to fit")

### floe

    From Norwegian flo (="layer, slab") from Old Norse flo

### flounder

    From Old Norse flydhra via Anglo-French floundre

### fluster

    Probably from a Scandinavian source related to Icelandic flaustr (="fluster")

### fog

    from Old Norse fok through Danish fog, meaning "spray", "shower", "snowdrift"

### fro

    from Old Norse fra (="from)

### freckle

    freknur (="freckles")

## G
### gab

    gabbnna (="to mock") through Northern England dialect, Scottish or Norman-French

### gable

    from Old French gable "facade, front, gable," from Old Norse gafl "gable, gable-end" (in north of England, the word probably is directly from Norse).

### gad

    gaddr (="spike, nail")

### gag

    Perhaps influenced by Old Norse gag-hals (="with head thrown back")

### gain

    from Germanic and from Old Norse via Old French.

### gait

    Related to Old Norse gata (="way, road, path")

### gale

    Perhaps from Old Norse gol (="breeze") or Old Danish gal (="bad, furious")

### gang

    gangr (="act of going, a group of men")

### gap

    gap (="chasm")

### gape

    From an unrecorded English word or from Old Norse gapa (="to open the mouth wide, gape")

### gasp

    geispa (="to yawn")

### gaunt

    Perhaps from a Scandinavian source

### gawk

    from Middle English gawen, from Old Norse ga (="to heed")

### gear

    from Old Norse gørvi (="apparel, gear")

### geld

    from Old Norse gelda (="to castrate")

### gelding

    from Old Norse geldingr (="wether; eunuch")

### get

    geta, gat (got), gittan (gotten)

### geyser

    from Icelandic geysir, from Old Norse geysa (="to gush")

### gift

    gift (="dowry")

### gill

    Possibly related to Old Norse gjölnar

### girth

    gjörð (="circumference, cinch")

### give

    gefa (="to give")

### glitter

    glitra (="to glitter")

### gloat

    From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse glotta (="to grin, smile scornfully and show the teeth")

### gosling

    gæslingr (="goose")

### grovel

    Shakespearean term originating from Old Norse grufe

### guest

    gestr (="guest")

### gun

    from Old Norse Gunnhildr (female name, both elements of the name, gunn and hildr, have the meaning "war, battle")

### gust

    gustr (="gust")

## H
### haggle

    haggen (="to chop")

### hail

    heill (="health, prosperity, good luck")

### hank

    Probably from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse hönk (="a hank, coil")

### hap, happy

    happ (="chance, good luck, fate")

### harness

    From Old Norse *hernest (="provisions for an army") via Old French harnois

### harsh

    probably from Middle English harske "rough, coarse, sour" (c. 1300), a northern word of Scandinavian origin.

### haunt

    heimta (="to bring back home") through Anglo-Norman haunter (="to reside", "to frequent"), (Old) French hanter from Norman hanter.

### haven

    From Old Norse höfn (="haven, harbor")

### hit

    hitta (="to find")

### how (or howe)

    haugr (="barrow, small hill") Usage preserved mainly in place names

### husband

    husbondi (="master of the house")

### hug

    Possibly from Old Norse hugga (="to comfort")

## I
### ill

    illr (="bad")

### irk

    yrkja (="to work")

## J
### jökulhlaup

    from Icelandic jökulhlaup from Old Norse jǫkull and hlaup.

### jarl

    From Old Norse jarl

## K
### kedge

    Probably from a Scandinavian source or related to "cadge"

### keg

    From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse kaggi (="keg, cask")

### keel

    kjölr

### kenning

    a descriptive phrase used in Germanic poetry, a modern learned word from Old Norse kenning in a special sense.

### kick

    Of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old Norse kikn (="bend backwards, sink at the knees")

### kid

    kið (="young goat")

### kidnap

    From kid + a variant of nab, both of which are of Scandinavian origin.

### kilt

    From Middle English kilten, from a Scandinavian source

### kindle

    kynda

### knife

    knífr

## L
### lad

    ladd (="young man (unlikely)")

### lag

    Possibly from a Scandinavian source, related to Norwegian lagga (="go slowly")

### lass

    From a Scandinavian source related to Old Swedish løsk kona (="unmarried woman") or Old Norse löskr (="idle, weak")

### lathe

    hlaða (="to load")

### law

    *lagu

### leg

    leggr

### lemming

    From Old Norse lomundr via Norwegian lemming

### lift

    lypta (="to raise")

### likely

    líkligr

### link

    *hlenkr

### litmus

    litmose (="lichen for dyeing", lita ="to stain")

### loan

    lán (="to lend")

### loft

    lopt (="an upper room or floor : attic, air, sky")

### loose

    lauss (="loose/free")

### lope

    From Old Norse hlaupa (="to run, leap, spring up")

### low

    lagr

### lug

    From Scandinavian, related to Swedish lugga and Norwegian lugge (="to pull by the hair")

## M
### meek

    From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse mjukr (='soft, pliant, gentle')

### midden

    Of Scandinavian origin, related to Danish mødding

### mink

    From a Scandinavian source, related to Swedish menk (="a stinking animal in Finland")

### mire

    myrr (='bog')

### mistake

    mistaka (="miscarry")

### muck

    myki (="cow dung")

### mug

    mugge

### muggy

    mugga (="drizzle, mist")

## N
### nab

    Probably a variant of dialectal nap "to seize, catch, lay hold of", which possibly is from Scandinavian.

### nag

    Probably ultimately from a Scandinavian source, related to Old Norse gnaga (="to complain," literally "to bite, gnaw")

### narwhal

    From Danish and Norwegian narhval, probably a metathesis of Old Norse nahvalr, literally "corpse-whale," from na "corpse"

### nay, naysayer

    From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse nei

### niggard, niggardly

    Perhaps from a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse *hniggw, possibly via French

### Norman, Normandy

    from Old Norse through Old French, meaning "northman", due to Viking settlement in Normandy region

### nudge

    Perhaps from Scandinavian, related to Norwegian nugge/nyggje (="to jostle, rub") and Icelandic nugga (="to rub, massage")

## O
### oaf

    alfr (="elf")

### odd

    oddi (="third number", "the casting vote")

### ombudsman

    from Old Norse umboðsmaðr through Swedish ombudsman, meaning "commissary", "representative", "steward"

### outlaw

    utlagi

## P
### peen

    Probably from a Scandinavian source, related to Norwegian penn and Old Swedish pæna

### plough, plow

    plogr

### prod

    From Old Norse broddr (="shaft, spike")

## Q
### queasy

    Possibly from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse kveisa (="a boil") (Middle English Compendium compares Old Norse iðra-kveisa "bowel pains").

## R
### race

    rás (="to race", "to run", "to rush", "to move swift")

### raft

    raptr (="log")

### rag

    Probably from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse rögg (="shaggy tuft, rough hair")

### ragged

    Related to "rag", perhaps from or reinforced by Old Norse raggaðr (="shaggy").

### ragtag

    From rag + tag, both component words being of Scandinavian origin.

### raise

    reisa

### ransack

    rannsaka (="to search the house")

### reef

    Likely from Old Norse rif (="ridge in the sea; reef in a sail") via Dutch riffe

### regret

    gráta ("to weep, groan") + French prefix re- through Old French regreter, itself from Old Norman-French regrater, regreter, influenced by Old English grætan

### reindeer

    hreindyri

### rid

    Possibly from Old Norse ryðja (="to clear (land) of obstructions")

### rift

    Related to Old Norse ripa/rifa (=""to tear apart, break a contract")

### rig

    Probably from a Scandinavian source. May be related to Danish/Norwegian rigge (="to equip") and Swedish rigga (="to rig, harness")

### rive

    rífa (="to scratch, plow, tear")

### root

    rót

### rotten

    rotinn (="decayed")

### rug

    rogg (="shaggy tuft")

### rugged

    rogg (="shaggy tuft")

### rump

    From a Scandinavian source related to Danish/Norwegian rumpe and Swedish rumpa

## S
### saga

    saga (="story, tale")

### sale

    sala

### same

    same, samr (="same")

### scale

    (for weighing) from skal (="bowl, drinking cup", or in plural "weighing scale" referring to the cup or pan part of a balance) in early English used to mean "cup"

### scalp

    From a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse skalli (="a bald head") or skalpr (="sheath, scabbard")

### scant

    skamt and skammr (="short, lacking")

### scare

    skirra (="to frighten)

### scarf

    skarfr (="fastening joint") ("scarf" and "scarves" have possibly been reintroduced to modern Swedish in their English forms as slang, but Swedes almost always use the compound "neck-cloth" (hals-duk).

### scathe

    skaða (="to hurt, injure")

### scoff

    From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skaup, skop (="mockery, ridicule")

### scofflaw

    From scoff + law, both of which are of Old Norse origin.

### scold

    From Old Norse skald (="poet")

### scorch

    Perhaps from Old Norse skorpna (="to be shriveled"). It was previously thought to be from Old French, but this is now considered unlikely.

### score

    skor (="notch"; "twenty")

### scowl

    Probably from a Scandinavian source, related to Norwegian skule (="look furtively, squint, look embarrassed") and Danish skule (="to scowl, cast down the eyes")

### scrag

    Related to Norwegian skragg "a lean person;" dialectal Swedish skraka "a great, dry tree; a long, lean man," skragge "old and torn thing," Danish skrog "hull of a ship; carcass," Icelandic skröggr, a nickname of the fox

### scrap

    skrap (="scraps, trifles") from skrapa

### scrape

    skrapa (="to scrape, erase")

### scrawny

    Of uncertain origin but probably from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse skrælna (="to shrivel")

### scree

    From Old Norse skriða (="landslide")

### scuff, scuffle

    Probably from a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse skufa, skyfa (="to shove, push aside"), via Scottish

### seat

    sæti (="seat, position")

### seem

    sœma (="to conform")

### shrimp

    Probably from or related to Old Norse skreppa (="thin person")

### shrivel

    Perhaps from a Scandinavian source and related to Swedish skryvla (="to wrinkle, to shrivel")

### shrug

    perhaps connected to Danish skrugge "to stoop, crouch."

### silt

    Probably from a Scandinavian source, related to Norwegian and Danish sylt (="salt marsh") and Old Swedish sylta (="mud")

### skate

    skata (="fish")

### skeet

    ultimately from Old Norse skjota (="to shoot")

### skerry

    From Old Norse sker

### skewer

    Possibly from Old Norse skifa (="a cut, slice")

### ski

    From Norwegian ski, related to Old Norse skið (="long snowshoe")

### skid

    Probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse skið (="stick of wood")

### skill

    skil (="distinction")

### skin

    skinn (="animal hide")

### skip

    skopa (="to skip, run)

### skit

    Perhaps ultimately from Old Norse skjuta (="to shoot, move quickly")

### skitter, skittish

    Perhaps relate to Old Norse skjota

### skirt

    skyrta (="shirt")

### skive

    From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skifa (="to cut, split")

### skrike

    skríkja (="to scream")

### skua

    from Faroese skugvur, related to Old Norse skufr (="seagull, tuft, tassel"), and possibly to skauf (="fox's tail").

### skull

    skulle (="head")

### sky

    ský (="cloud")

### skyscraper

    From sky + scrape, both of which originate from Old Norse

### slam

    From a Scandinavian source, ultimately of imitative origin.

### slant

    sletta, slenta (="to throw carelessly")

### slaughter

    *slahtr (="butchering")

### slaver

    slafra (="slaver")

### sledge

    sleggja (="sledgehammer")

### sleight

    slœgð

### sleuth

    sloð (="trail")

### slight

    Probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse slettr (="smooth, sleek")

### sling

    From Old Norse slyngva

### slob

    From a Scandinavian source via Irish

### slot

    Perhaps from Old Norse sloð "trail" via Old French esclot "hoofprint of a deer or horse".

### slouch

    Related to Old Norse slokr ("lazy fellow")

### slump

    Probably from a Scandinavian source such as Norwegian and Danish slumpe (="fall upon,") Swedish slumpa; perhaps ultimately of imitative origin.

### slush

    Perhaps from a Scandinavian source, related to Norwegian and Danish slask (="slushy ground")

### sly

    sloegr (="cunning, crafty, sly")

### smithy

    From Old Norse smiðja

### snag

    From a Scandinavian source, related Old Norse snagi (="clothes peg")

### snare

    snara (="noose, snare")

### snape

    sneypa (="to outrage, dishonor, disgrace")

### snipe

    From Old Norse -snipa

### sniper

    From English snipe, which was derived from Old Norse

### snub

    snubba (="to curse")

### snug, snuggle

    Perhaps from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse snoggr (="short-haired")

### spike

    perhaps from or related to a Scandinavian word, such as Old Norse spik "splinter," Middle Swedish spijk "nail".

### sprint

    spretta (="to jump up")

### squabble

    probably from a Scandinavian source and of imitative origin

### squall

    Probably from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse skvala (="to cry out")

### stack

    From a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse stakkr (="haystack")

### stagger

    stakra (="to push")

### stain

    steina (="to paint")

### steak

    steik, steikja (="to fry")

### stern (nautical)

    probably from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse stjorn "a steering," related to or derived from styra "to guide".

### stoup

    From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse staup (="cup")

### stumble

    Probably from a Scandinavian source, may be related to Norwegian stumla, Swedish stambla (="to stumble")

### swag

    From a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse sveggja (="to swing, sway")

### swain

    from Old Norse sveinn "boy, servant, attendant".

### sway

    sveigja (="to bend, swing, give way")

## T
### tag

    Probably from a Scandinavian source, related to Norwegian tagg (="point, prong, barb") and Swedish tagg (="prickle, thorn")

### tangle

    From a Scandinavian source, possibly related to Old Norse þongull

### take

    taka

### tarn

    tjǫrn, tjarn

### tatter

    From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse töturr (="rags, tatters, tattered garment")

### teem

    tœma (="to empty")

### tern

    From a Scandinavian source akin via East Anglian dialect

### tether

    Probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse tjoðr (="tether")

### their

    þeirra

### they

    þeir

### though

    from Old English þēah, and in part from Old Norse þó (="though")

### thrall

    þræll

### thrift

    þrift (="prosperity")

### thrive

    From a Scandinavian source akin to þrifask (="to thrive", originally "grasp to oneself")

### thrust

    þrysta (="to thrust, force")

### thwart

    þvert (="across")

### tidings

    tíðindi (="news of events")

### tight

    þéttr (="watertight, close in texture, solid")

### till

    til (="to, until")

### toft

    From Old Norse topt (="homestead")

### toom

    tóm (="vacant time, leisure")

### toss

    Of uncertain origin, possibly from a Scandinavian source

### trash

    Perhaps from Old Norse tros (="rubbish, fallen leaves and twigs")

### troll

    troll (="giant, fiend, demon"; further etymology is disputed)

### trust (verb)

    traust (="help, confidence")

### tryst

    from Old French tristre (="waiting place, appointed station in hunting"), probably from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse treysta (="to trust, make firm").

### tyke

    From a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse tik (="bitch")

## U
### ugly

    uggligr (="Dreadfull, repulsive")

### until

    from Old Norse und (="as far as, up to") and til (="until, up to")

## V
### valkyrie

    from Old Norse valkyrja, literally "chooser of the slain," from valr (="those slain in battle") + kyrja (="chooser"), from ablaut root of kjosa (="to choose")

### viking

    vikingr (="one who came from the fjords", vik = small and not deep fjord)

### vole

    Probably from Old Norse völlr (="field")

## W
### wad

    from Old Norse vaðmal

### wag

    Probably from a Scandinavian source related Old Norse vagga (="a cradle")

### waif

    Probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse veif (="waving thing, flag") via Anglo-French waif

### wail

    From Old Norse væla (="to lament")

### waive, waiver

    from Anglo-French weyver "to abandon, waive" (Old French guever "to abandon, give back"), probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse veifa "to swing about".

### walrus

    A loanword from Dutch, but probably ultimately an alteration of a Scandinavian word.

### wand

    vondr (="rod")

### want

    vanta (="to lack")

### wapentake

    From Old Norse vapnatak

### wassail

    From Old Norse vas heill (="be healthy")

### weak

    veikr (="weak, pliant")

### wheeze

    Probably from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse hvoesa (="to hiss")

### whirl

    hvirfla (="to go around")

### whisk

    viska (="to plait")

### wicker

    From a Scandinavian source, related to Danish viger and Middle Swedish viker

### wicket

    vík (="bay") + French suffix -et through Anglo-Norman wicket, itself from Old Norman-French wiket, Norman-French viquet > French guichet

### wight

    vigr (="able in battle") – the other wight meaning "man" is from Old English

### wile

    vél (="trick, craft, fraud")

### windlass

    vindáss (= "windlass", literally "winding-pole"), through Old Norman / Anglo-Norman windas, from vinda ("to wind") + áss ("pole").

### window

    vindauga (="wind-eye") – although gluggi was more commonly used in Old Norse

### wing

    vængr (="a wing")

### wreck

    From a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse *wrek (="wreck, flotsam"), via Anglo-Norman wrec

### wrong

    rangr (="crooked, wry, wrong")

## Y
### yaw

    Perhaps ultimately from Old Norse jaga