vǫrðr

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *warduz, alternative form of *wardaz (“guard”), whence the variant varðr. Related to varr (“aware, wary”).

Noun

vǫrðr m (genitive varðar, plural verðir)

1. ward, warder
2. guard, watch

   vǫrðr goða ― watchman of the gods (Heimdall)

Declension

Declension of vǫrðr (strong u-stem)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	vǫrðr	vǫrðrinn	verðir	verðirnir
accusative	vǫrð	vǫrðinn	vǫrðu	vǫrðuna
dative	verði	verðinum	vǫrðum	vǫrðunum
genitive	varðar	varðarins	varða	varðanna

Derived terms

• láðvǫrðr
• varðhygi

Descendants

• Icelandic: vörður
• Faroese: vørður
• Norwegian Nynorsk: vord
  • → Norwegian Bokmål: vord
• Old Swedish: varþer
  • Swedish: vard, vård
• → Scots: warth

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910), “vörðr”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 503; also available at the Internet Archive
• vård in SAOB, at SAOB