What does the word "Vik" mean in Icelandic place names such as Keflavik and Reykjavik?

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What does the word "Vik" mean in Icelandic place names such as Keflavik and Reykjavik?

Question #82957. Asked by miffy42.
Last updated Jun 01 2021.

Related Trivia Topics: Linguistics Vocabulary

davejacobs
Answer has 9 votes

Currently Best Answer

davejacobs
22 year member
956 replies

Answer has 9 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.

It is apparently Old Norse for a port or harbour, or Old English for a refuge. Most places where the Norsemen landed had names ending in -vik, for obvious reasons.

https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/VIK

Response last updated by CmdrK on Jun 01 2021.
Jul 06 2007, 7:18 AM

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Answer 1

One of the interesting points made in dave's site (I rather enjoyed reading though it) is that the etymology of the word "Viking" may be related to Old Norse "vik" for "bay," "inlet," or "creek."

Here's a somewhat simpler site. Scroll down to "Etymology":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking

What does the word "Vik" mean in Icelandic place names such as Keflavik and Reykjavik?

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