Drakkar

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of long, narrow Viking ship known for its ornate dragon-headed prow and used primarily for raiding and exploration in the early medieval period
2. A medieval Scandinavian vessel characterized by its slender build and a decorative figurehead shaped like a dragon, employed in warfare and long-distance travel during the Viking Age
3. A historic Norse ship distinguished by its elongated form and carved dragon figure at the bow, utilized by Vikings for seafaring raids and voyages across Northern Europe

Etymology: The word "drakkar" comes from Old Norse "drekkr" or "dreki," meaning "dragon," and it reached French in the nineteenth century, when Norwegian and French writers borrowed it to describe the Viking longships they had seen in museums and read about in sagas. Its sense is therefore a modern naming choice rather than an ancient Norse one: the Norse themselves used words like "langskip" for these vessels, and the dragon-headed prow was real enough, but the name "drakkar" was revived and applied to them later. The word "drakkar" then passed back into English through French, where it became a common term for the carved-prow ships of the Viking Age. The link to "dragon" is the surprising part. A word that now sounds like an ancient Norse original is in fact a later label built on a Norse root, chosen because the carved figurehead looked like a dragon to those who named the ships.

Synonyms: longship, Viking ship, warship