Norway (English)
Where does "Norway" come from?
The name Norway originates from the Old Norse term 'Norðvegr,' meaning 'north way.' This descriptive term was a calque used to identify the coastal sea route traveling north along the Scandinavian coastline. Over time, it passed through Old English as 'Norþweġ' and Middle English as 'Norwey' before evolving into its modern form.
Full etymology tree
- Norway (English), 'A country in Scandinavia in Northern Europe. Official name: Kingdom of Norway.'
- inherited Norwey (Middle English), 'Norway (a former kingdom in Northern Europe, approximately coincident with modern Norway and Iceland)'
- influence Norvege (Old French)
- influence Norvegia (Latin), 'Norway (a country in Scandinavia in Northern Europe)'
- inherited Norþweg (Old English), 'Norway (a country in Scandinavia in Northern Europe)'
- calque Norðvegr (Old Norse)
- compound norðr (Old Norse), 'north'
- inherited *nurþrą (Proto-Germanic), 'north, northern'
- inherited *nurþraz (Proto-Germanic), 'north, northern'
- inherited *(h₁)nŕ̥t(e)ros (Pre-Germanic)
- inherited *nér (Proto-Indo-European), 'below the surface, below'
- inherited *(h₁)nŕ̥t(e)ros (Pre-Germanic)
- inherited *nurþraz (Proto-Germanic), 'north, northern'
- inherited *nurþrą (Proto-Germanic), 'north, northern'
- compound vegr (Old Norse), 'way, road'
- inherited *wegaz (Proto-Germanic), 'way'
- derived *weganą (Proto-Germanic), 'to move, to carry'
- inherited *wéǵʰeti (Proto-Indo-European), 'to be transporting'
- inherited *weǵʰ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to bring'
- inherited *wéǵʰeti (Proto-Indo-European), 'to be transporting'
- derived *weganą (Proto-Germanic), 'to move, to carry'
- inherited *wegaz (Proto-Germanic), 'way'
- compound norðr (Old Norse), 'north'
- calque Norðvegr (Old Norse)
- inherited Norwey (Middle English), 'Norway (a former kingdom in Northern Europe, approximately coincident with modern Norway and Iceland)'
Direct ancestors
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris