Where does “Danelagen” come from?
Danelagen (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Norwegian Nynorsk låg, from Old Norse lág, from Old Norse leggja, from Proto-Germanic lagjaną, from Proto-Indo-European legʰ- — to lie.
Ancestry of “Danelagen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Norwegian Nynorsk | låg | low |
| 2 | Old Norse | lág | a felled tree; log; lying tree |
| 3 | Old Norse | leggja | to lay, place, put; to make, build |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lagjaną | to lay, to place in a resting position |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | legʰ- | to lie |