Etymology Map
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Orienteering

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a sport of navigating across country with a map and compass

Where does the word "orienteering" come from? It comes from Latin oriēns, passing through Swedish before entering English (1940s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
oriēns
Latin · ancient
"the east"
rising, the east, where the sun rises
2
Stage 2 of 3
orientering
Swedish · 1880s
"orienteering"
used in military training; Norway held the first public competition in 1897, and Ernst Killander popularized the sport in Sweden from 1919
3
Stage 3 of 3
orienteering
English · 1940s
"map-and-compass racing"
borrowed as the Scandinavian sport spread abroad
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Read the full story

Orienteering’s story begins in Latin: oriēns meant “the east.” Rising, the east, where the sun rises. By 1880s, the word had taken hold in Swedish as orientering. Used in military training; Norway held the first public competition in 1897, and Ernst Killander popularized the sport in Sweden from 1919. It reached English by 1940s as orienteering. Borrowed as the Scandinavian sport spread abroad. Today, orienteering means a sport of navigating across country with a map and compass.