Where does “berserk” come from?
berserk (Polish) comes from Old Norse berserkr, from Old Norse serkr, from Proto-Germanic sarkiz, from Proto-Indo-European swerg-, from Proto-Indo-European sēr-, from Proto-Indo-European ser- — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.
berserk (Polish): berserk
Ancestry of “berserk”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | berserkr | a Scandinavian warrior; a raging warrior of... |
| 2 | Old Norse | serkr | A shirt |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | sarkiz | sark, shirt; coat of mail |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | swerg- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sēr- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |