Where does “hedning” come from?
hedning (Swedish) comes from Swedish heden, from Swedish hed, from Old Swedish heþ, from Old Norse heiðr, from Proto-Germanic haiþī, from Proto-Indo-European ḱayt- — forest, wasteland, pasture.
hedning (Swedish): a heathen, a pagan
Ancestry of “hedning”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Swedish | heden | heathen |
| 2 | Swedish | hed | A moor; an extensive waste land |
| 3 | Old Swedish | heþ | — |
| 4 | Old Norse | heiðr | honour, honor, worth; heath, moor; bright, clear,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | haiþī | heath, wasteland |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱayt- | forest, wasteland, pasture |