EtymologyMap
Back to all words

Trace the journey of words

Today it means

valkyrie

in Norse mythology, one of Odin's maidens who chose the slain for Valhalla

Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate

Where does the word "valkyrie" come from? It comes from Old Norse valkyrja, and was adopted directly into English (1760s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "valkyrie" come from? It comes from Old Norse valkyrja, and was adopted directly into English (1760s).

Valkyrie’s story begins in Old Norse: valkyrja meant “chooser of the slain.” 'chooser of the slain', from 'valr', the slain, and 'kjósa', to choose. It reached English by 1760s as valkyrie. Reintroduced through translations of Norse poetry; Wagner's opera 'Die Walküre' (1870) made it famous. Today, valkyrie means in Norse mythology, one of Odin's maidens who chose the slain for Valhalla.

  1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · 800s-1200s valkyrja "chooser of the slain", 'chooser of the slain', from 'valr', the slain, and 'kjósa', to choose.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1760s valkyrie "Norse battle-maiden", reintroduced through translations of Norse poetry; Wagner's opera 'Die Walküre' (1870) made it famous.

Browse by origin