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): berserker

Definitions

  1. berserker

Ancestry of “berserk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norseberserkra Scandinavian warrior; a raging warrior of...
2Old NorseserkrA shirt
3Proto-Germanicsarkizsark, shirt; coat of mail
4Proto-Indo-Europeanswerg-—
5Proto-Indo-Europeansēr-to flow
6Proto-Indo-Europeanser-to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ser- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European sēr- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European swerg- →
berserk — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer