Where does “Norway” come from?
Norway derives from Old English Norweġ, from Old Norse Norvegr, combining Old Norse norðr (north) and Proto-Germanic wegaz (way), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ-.
Norway (English): Short for Norway rat
Ancestry of “Norway”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | Norwey | — |
| 2 | Old English | Norþweg | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | Norvegr | north way |
| 4 | Old Norse | Norðvegr | — |
| 5 | Old Norse | norðr | north; north, northward |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | nurþrą | north, northern; north, northward |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | nurþraz | north, northern |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | *nér | — |
Words derived from “Norway”