Norn

¹ American  

[nawrn] / nɔrn /

noun

1. an extinct Norse dialect, spoken until early modern times in the Shetland and Orkney Islands and in parts of northern Scotland.

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Norn ² American  

[nawrn] / nɔrn /

noun

Scandinavian Mythology.

1. any of three goddesses of fate, the goddess of the past Urd, the goddess of the present Verdandi, and the goddess of the future Skuld.

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Norn ¹ British  

/ nɔːn /

noun

1. Norse myth any of the three virgin goddesses of fate, who predestine the lives of the gods and men

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Norn ² British  

/ nɔːn /

noun

1. the medieval Norse language of the Orkneys, Shetlands, and parts of N Scotland. It was extinct by 1750

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Etymology

Origin of Norn

< Old Norse norrœnn, earlier northrœnn Norwegian, literally, northern

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Norn

The island was one of the last places in Shetland where the old Norn language, a relic of Norse times, was spoken.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2025

She’s made early running in various minor Wagnerian roles as far afield as Berlin and Toronto, and sang the Third Norn in the Metropolitan Opera’s “Götterdämmerung” in 2012 and 2013.

From New York Times ● May 18, 2015

A soprano who does the Third Norn in Wagner’s “Götterdämmerung” might, if she’s lucky, eventually graduate to Brünnhilde.

From New York Times ● Feb. 6, 2014

Ewan Murray reckons the win over Norn Iron proves Craig Levein's claim that Scotland really do have creative options.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 11, 2011

A pitiful sight was that of an old, gray haired man named Norn.

From The Johnstown Horror!!! or, Valley of Death, being A Complete and Thrilling Account of the Awful Floods and Their Appalling Ruin by Walker, James Herbert