svartr
/swartr̩/
The Old Norse word for black is svartr. Wiktionary also lists blakkr.
Meaning: absorbing all light (adj)
Ways to say it
| Old Norse | IPA |
|---|---|
| svartr | /swartr̩/ |
| blakkr |
The word is used as an adjective to describe something that is black, meaning it absorbs all light.
Which one should you use?
While both svartr and blakkr mean black, svartr is the more common and standard form. blakkr is a variant used in specific poetic or stylistic contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
/swartr̩/
Did you know?
- The variation blakkr is closely related to the modern English word 'black', whereas svartr became the standard for 'black' in modern Scandinavian languages like Swedish and Norwegian.
- Old Norse uses the word svartr in the compound Svartálfar to describe the 'Black Elves', who were actually dwarves living underground.
- The term svartr derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *swordo-, which originally meant 'dirty' or 'dark' rather than a specific color.
Examples in context
- Hestrinn er svartr.The horse is black.
Example conversation
Helga and Erik are looking at a horse.
- HelgaSjá, hestrinn er svartr!Look, the horse is black!
- ErikJá, hann er mjök fagr.Yes, he is very beautiful.
- HelgaViltu kaupa svartan hest?Do you want to buy a black horse?
- ErikEk vil kaupa hann.I want to buy him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “black” translations and entries svartr, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries svartr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
