Norse 22059 217078502 2008-06-04T14:47:30Z Samvscat 189986 {{Wiktionarypar|Norse}} '''Norse''' is an adjective relating things to [[Norway]], [[Denmark]], [[Faroe Islands]], [[Greenland]], [[Iceland]] and [[Sweden]]. To refer to the modern people or culture of Norway, use "Norwegian". The [[etymology]] of the adjective "''[[wikt:norse|norse]]''" is somewhat surprising, as one would expect it to have entered the English language through either the already present native stem "''[[north]]''" or via a [[North Germanic languages|Scandinavian language]]. Yet "''norse''," which entered [[English language|English]] in 1598, derives from the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] word "''noors''", the adjective form of "''[[Norway|Norwegian]]''". The Scandinavian equivalent of the word is ''norrøn'', or ''norrön'' (Icelandic: ''norræn''). The modern English form (which sounds almost identical to the Dutch term) may be used in a number of ways. Norse may refer to: In '''history''': * [[Norsemen]], the Scandinavian people before the [[Christianization of Scandinavia]]. * [[Norse mythology]], ancient Scandinavian beliefs. * [[Norse paganism]], the religious traditions that were common amongst the Scandinavian people before the [[Christianization of Scandinavia]]. * [[Norse art]], Scandinavian art of the period 400 AD to 1066 AD and sometimes of the pre-historic period 1700 BC to 500 AD. In '''language''': * [[North Germanic languages]], through the synonym "Nordic languages," comprises a group of modern languages spoken in Scandinavia and nearby lands. ** [[West Norse]] is a term describing the modern languages of Norwegian, Faroese and Icelandic within the North Germanic language group. ** [[East Norse]] is a term describing the modern languages of Danish and Swedish within the North Germanic language group. ** [[Proto-Norse language]] is the [[Germanic language]] in use from first centuries AD until the 8th century, predecessor of Old Norse. ** [[Old Norse]] language was the [[North Germanic language]] in use from c. 800 AD to c. 1300 AD. In '''fiction''': * "Norselands," a fictional land in the ''[[Age of Mythology]]'' computer game series; the "Norse" also comprise one of three playable civilizations within the game. * The inhabitants of [[Norsca (Warhammer)|Norsca]] are a fictional land in the [[Warhammer Fantasy (setting)|Warhammer Fantasy game setting]]. In '''sports''': * The Norse are the [[mascot]] of the [[Northern Kentucky University]] athletic teams. ==See also== *[[Nordic]] <includeonly>[[Norse (disambiguation)|Norse]]</includeonly> {{disambig}} [[eo:Nordia]] [[es:escandinavo]] [[ko:노르드]] [[th:นอร์ส]]