Talk:Norway
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Old English Norweg, Norþweg from Old Norse Norvegr north way contrasted with suthrvegar south way, i.e. Germany, and austrvegr east way, the Baltic lands. Norwegian (1607) is from Medieval Latin Norvegia, with the -w- from Norway.
- Although I added this etymology, I have an unanswered question. Is it sure that English (and at least the other Germanic languages) adopted Norway from Old Norse? I mean, in Bokmal Norse, which basically means Old Danish more or less, the name of Norway is Norge. In modern Danish, and although I'm not sure (so it would be great if someone knows this) it also is Norge in the Old Danish language. I thought of this because if the so-called "ways" make sense if you see it from a topographic point of view, Norway would be to the north of Denmark, Germany to the south and the Baltic states to the east. If you follow those "ways", you end up in Denmark. Understand my confusion now about the origins lying in Old Norse? I hope someone can answer this. Thanks Mallerd 19:21, 20 November 2007 (UTC)