1:22p |
The term vityaz' The term vityaz' comes from Proto-Slavic *vitędzь, from Proto-Germanic *wikinga through a West Germanic intermediary. The earliest attested form is Old English wicing, "pirate", whence modern English viking. This in turn probably comes from Latin vicus with the Germanic suffix *-inga-, indicating belonging. In Germanic and Latin sources, the word has negative connotations. The circumstances of borrowing, and how it came to mean "hero" in Slavic, are thus unclear. |