oldnorsk

Oldnorsk, usually referred to in English as Old Norse, is the North Germanic language spoken in Scandinavia and by Norse settlers during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. It originated from Proto-Norse and developed into several regional varieties that later evolved into Icelandic, Faroese, Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish. The period generally spans roughly from the 8th century to the 14th century, with regional forms persisting longer in some areas.

Geographically, Old Norse was used across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and the Norse settlements in the British Isles, Greenland, and parts of the North Atlantic. Linguists typically distinguish Old West Norse (including Icelandic and Norwegian varieties) from Old East Norse (Danish and Swedish), with dialectal overlap and regional variation throughout the era.

The language played a central role in a rich manuscript tradition. It was originally written in the Younger Futhark runic alphabet and later in Latin script after Christianization. Important texts include the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Icelandic sagas, and the historical writings such as Heimskringla. These sources, along with legal and religious writings, provide much of what is known about Old Norse grammar and lexicon.

Grammar and phonology were highly inflected, featuring nouns with multiple cases and genders, strong and weak verb classes, and sound changes such as umlaut. The syntax often allowed flexible word order due to case marking.

Legacy is strong: Old Norse is the ancestor of modern Icelandic and Faroese, and a common ancestor of Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish. It also influenced English, especially in place names and certain vocabulary. Scholarly study relies on medieval manuscripts and runic inscriptions to reconstruct phonology, morphology, and vocabulary.