Where does “geislavirkur” come from?

geislavirkur (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic geisli, from Old Norse geisli, from Proto-Germanic gaisilaz — staff, whip.

geislavirkur (Icelandic): radioactive

Definitions

  1. radioactive

Ancestry of “geislavirkur”, step by step

geislavirkur traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Icelandic geisli

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicgeislibeam, a ray; radius
2Old Norsegeisli—
3Proto-Germanicgaisilazstaff, whip

via Icelandic virkur

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicvirkuractive, working; live
Every word from Proto-Germanic gaisilaz →Every word from Old Norse geisli →Every word from Icelandic geisli →
geislavirkur — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer