stríðsmaður
masculine
The Icelandic word for warrior is stríðsmaður.
Stríðsmaður refers to a person who is actively engaged in battle, conflict or warfare.
Meaning: person actively engaged in battle, conflict or warfare (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound formed by combining stríð, meaning war and maður, meaning man.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of stríðsmaður is stríðsmenn.
Did you know?
- Iceland has had no standing army for centuries, making stríðsmaður a word more commonly found in historical literature than in daily professional life.
- In old Norse poetry, warriors were rarely called stríðsmaður and instead were given 'kennings', such as 'feeder of ravens' to describe a soldier.
- To describe a 'warrior spirit' or bravery, Icelanders often use the word drengskapur, which refers to a specific code of honor and integrity.
Examples in context
- Hann var mikill stríðsmaður.He was a great warrior.
Example conversation
Kristín and Jón are discussing a historical movie.
- KristínLeikendinn spilar hlutverk stríðsmanns.The actor plays the role of a warrior.
- JónJá, hann lítur mjög sterkur út.Yes, he looks very strong.
- KristínHann er sá besta stríðsmaður í filmu.He is the best warrior in the movie.
- JónÉg er sammála við þig, Kristín.I agree with you, Kristín.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “warrior” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
