dream

Where does the word "dream" come from? It comes from Old English drēam, passing through Old Norse before entering English (1200s).

Dream’s story begins in Old English: drēam meant “joy, music.” Meant joy, music and revelry; there is no record of it meaning a vision in sleep. By 800s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old Norse as draumr. Viking settlers' 'draumr', a sleep vision, gave the English word its modern meaning. It reached English by 1200s as dream. Old English had called a sleep vision 'swefn'; the Norse sense took over both words' territory. Today, dream means images and feelings in the mind during sleep; an ambition.

1. Stage 1 · Old English · 700s-1000s drēam "joy, music", meant joy, music and revelry; there is no record of it meaning a vision in sleep.
2. Stage 2 · Old Norse · 800s-1000s draumr "dream", Viking settlers' 'draumr', a sleep vision, gave the English word its modern meaning.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1200s dream "vision in sleep", Old English had called a sleep vision 'swefn'; the Norse sense took over both words' territory.