Where does “Jörmungandr” come from?
Jörmungandr (English) comes from Old Norse Jǫrmungandr, from Old Norse gandr, from Proto-Germanic gandaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰen-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰon-.
Jörmungandr (English): The World Serpent or Midgard Serpent, an offspring of Loki, which is thrown into the ocean by Odin but grows to encircle the world, and is finally slain during Ragnarok by Thor, who then succumbs to its poisonous breath
Definitions
- The World Serpent or Midgard Serpent, an offspring of Loki, which is thrown into the ocean by Odin but grows to encircle the world, and is finally slain during Ragnarok by Thor, who then succumbs to its poisonous breath
Ancestry of “Jörmungandr”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | Jǫrmungandr | Jörmungandr a kenning for the World Serpent, coiling around the world in the depth of the ocean, biting its own tail |
| 2 | Old Norse | gandr | magic wand; stick, staff; magic, monster; magic... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | gandaz | stick, staff |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰen- | to strike, slay, kill |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰon- | — |