vinnir

Vinnir is a term found in Old Norse sources as the nominative plural of vinnr, a noun meaning a worker or laborer. The root vinn- is linked to the verb vinna, "to work," and to related North Germanic terms for labor. In medieval sagas and skaldic poetry, vinnr denotes a person who labours, often described as a craftsman or as a member of a laboring group; vinnir occurs when referring to several such individuals, for example in passages describing camps, fieldwork, or workshops associated with travellers or warriors. The precise social nuance can vary by text, ranging from urban artisans to more general laborers.

In modern Icelandic, the closely related form vinir (with a single n) means "friends" and is the plural of vinur, "friend." Although etymologically connected to the same root, this contemporary meaning is distinct from the historical sense of vinnr/vinnir, which can lead to translation confusion for readers of Old Norse material.

Scholars study vinnir as part of the North Germanic lexicon related to work and craft, and as evidence for the organization of labor in medieval societies. The term is occasionally adopted in worldbuilding or textual reconstructions as a neutral label for a guild of artisans, reflecting its association with craftsmanship and labor.