oln

oln, also known as the Old Norse language, was a North Germanic language spoken in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements from the 8th to the 14th centuries. It is the earliest attested form of the North Germanic language branch, which also includes modern Scandinavian languages like Icelandic, Faroese, Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish. Old Norse evolved from Proto-Norse and is the ancestor of these modern languages.

The language is typically divided into two main dialects: Old West Norse, spoken in Norway and its colonies (Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands), and Old East Norse, spoken in Denmark and Sweden. While distinct, these dialects were largely mutually intelligible during the Viking Age. The written form of Old Norse primarily uses the runic alphabet (Elder Futhark and later Younger Futhark) and later the Latin alphabet.

Extensive literature in Old Norse survives, most notably the Icelandic Sagas, the Poetic Edda, and the Prose Edda. These texts provide invaluable insights into Norse mythology, history, and culture. The study of Old Norse is crucial for understanding the development of Germanic languages and the history of Northern Europe. It continues to be studied by linguists, historians, and literature scholars.