vatn
/ˈwatn/neuter
The English word "water" is vatn in Old Norse.
The term refers to the inorganic compound H₂O.
Meaning: inorganic compound H₂O (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
vatn is a neuter noun. In the nominative and accusative plural, the form remains vatn. However, when using the dative singular case, the noun changes to vatni.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈwatn/
Did you know?
- While English uses 'water' for everything from a glass to an ocean, Old Norse often used specific terms like sjór for the sea to distinguish salt water from vatn.
- The Old Norse word vatn is a linguistic survivor that kept a stem ending in -n, a feature that disappeared in most other Germanic languages.
Examples in context
- Vatn er í keri.Water is in the vessel.
Example conversation
Olaf and Helga are resting by a stream.
- OlafSjá, hér er vatn!Look, here is water!
- HelgaEr vatnið hreint?Is the water clean?
- OlafJá, þat er mjög hreint.Yes, it is very clean.
- HelgaGef mér vatn, Olaf.Give me water, Olaf.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “water” translations and entries vatn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vatn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
