How to Say “Lion” in Old Norse

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ljón
The Old Norse word for lion is ljón.
The term ljón refers to the big cat of the species Panthera leo.
Meaning: big cat Panthera leo (noun)

Did you know?

  • The word ljón shares a root with the Latin 'leo', but Old Norse adapted the sound to fit the Germanic phonetic system, altering the vowel and consonant structure.
  • Because lions were not native to Scandinavia, the word ljón almost never appears in the mundane vocabulary of farmers or sailors.

Example conversation

Bjorn and Astrid are looking at a painting of animals.

  1. Bjorn

    Sjá, þetta er ljón!
    Look, this is a lion!
  2. Astrid

    Hann er mjök mikill.
    He is very large.
  3. Bjorn

    Ljón er konungr dýra.
    The lion is the king of animals.
  4. Astrid

    Já, hann er óttalegr.
    Yes, he is fearsome.
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Rebecca Debbie
Rebecca DebbieHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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