Where does “valkyrie” come from?
valkyrie (Danish) comes from Old Norse valkyrja, from Old Norse kyrja, from Old Norse kjósa, from Proto-Germanic keusaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵews- — to taste, try.
valkyrie (Danish): valkyrie; fury, virago
Ancestry of “valkyrie”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | valkyrja | Valkyrie |
| 2 | Old Norse | kyrja | chooser |
| 3 | Old Norse | kjósa | to choose; to desire, wish; to elect |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | keusaną | to test, to try; to choose |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵews- | to taste, try |