Where does “isbjørn” come from?
isbjørn (Danish) comes from Danish bjørn, from Old Danish biørn, from Old Norse Bjǫrn, from Proto-Germanic bernuz.
isbjørn (Danish): polar bear
Ancestry of “isbjørn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Danish | bjørn | bear; lubber's hole |
| 2 | Old Danish | biørn | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | Bjǫrn | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bernuz | — |