fjord

Where does the word "fjord" come from? It comes from Old Norse fjörðr, passing through Norwegian before entering English (1700s-1800s).

Fjord’s story begins in Old Norse: fjörðr meant “a sea inlet.” Meaning "a narrow inlet of the sea". By medieval, the word had taken hold in Norwegian as fjord. Kept as the name for Norway's characteristic coastal inlets. It reached English by 1700s-1800s as fjord. Popularized by English travellers to Norway in the 1800s. Today, fjord means a long, narrow inlet of the sea bordered by steep cliffs, carved by glaciers.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval fjörðr "a sea inlet", meaning "a narrow inlet of the sea".
2. Stage 2 · Norwegian · medieval fjord "a narrow, steep-sided sea inlet", kept as the name for Norway's characteristic coastal inlets.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1700s-1800s fjord "a long, narrow inlet bordered by cliffs", popularized by English travellers to Norway in the 1800s.