Where does “birna” come from?
birna (Icelandic) comes from Old Norse birna, from Proto-Germanic bernijǭ, from Proto-Germanic berô, from Proto-Indo-European bʰerH- — to pierce; to strike; brown.
birna (Icelandic): female bear, she-bear
Ancestry of “birna”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | birna | she-bear, female bear |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | bernijǭ | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | berô | bear |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰerH- | to pierce; to strike; brown |