berserkr

Old Norse

Etymology

From bjǫrn (“bear”) and serkr (“shirt, coat”) thus literally "a warrior clothed in bearskin." Not from berr (“bare, naked”).

Noun

berserkr m (genitive berserks, plural berserkir)

  1. a Scandinavian warrior
  2. a raging warrior of superhuman strength
  3. a wild Norse warrior who fights with frenzy

Declension
  Declension of berserkr (strong i-stem, s-genitive)
masculine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative berserkr berserkrinn berserkir berserkirnir
accusative berserk berserkinn berserki berserkina
dative berserk berserkinum berserkum berserkunum
genitive berserks berserksins berserka berserkanna

Descendants

References
  • berserkr in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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