Words from the cold North

The Nordic invasions: 10 words adopted by English

Image: Sami Matias Breilin

Romance languages, led by French, have had such a lasting influence on English that we sometimes forget that it is actually a Germanic language, and as such, a relative of the Nordic languages.

However, Nordic languages had left their mark on English centuries before the French-Normans even attempted to conquer England, and they continue to do so to this day. Let’s have a look at some words of Nordic origin that are ingrained in everyday English.

Image: R Mo

The terms for window used by Old English and Old Norse were both related to the word ‘eye’, but were different. In Old English, the common word was eagþyrl or ‘eye-hole’, while Old Norse used vindauga or ‘wind-eye’. V_indauga_ was one of the many words adopted into English during the Viking invasions and evolved into ‘window’ during the Middle English period.

Image: Mustafa Bashari

Did you know that the original English word for egg was æg, and it was pronounced like ‘eye’? The word as we know it now was adopted from Old Norse around the 14th century. For a while, egg coexisted with eyren, the plural of æg, but the Norse term was ultimately more popular.

Image: Ferdinand Stöhr

What do the words fjord, ford, and port have in common? They all come from the same Indo-European word meaning ‘crossing’, but through different languages. Old English ford retained the meaning of ‘a shallow river crossing’, while Latin portus was adopted as port (a harbor), and Old Norse fjǫrðr was adopted as fjord (an inlet or estuary that gave passage from the sea to the land).

Image: Maarten Duineveld

Nordic countries deal with much more snow than England, so the adoption of snow-adjacent vocabulary seems only logical. In addition to this, most of the English terms that start with sk- are of Norse origin. The word ski comes from the Old Norse skíth (meaning ‘snowshoe’), and it was adopted into English during the 18th-century. Related words such as slalom (a sloping track) are of the same origin.

Image: Ruslan Bardash

This word, from Swedish origin, was adopted in the 1950s, but it is actually a portmanteau. The original name was trampcykel med motor och pedaler or ‘pedal cycle with engine and pedals’. It seems that the name was a mouthful even for the Swedish, because the shortened version was coined by them.

Image: Hannah Busing

Nowadays, gang can have a negative connotation in some contexts, but it can also be used in a more neutral sense. This neutral use (gang as ‘group’) comes from Old Norse gangr or ganga, meaning ‘going’ or ‘journey’. Adopted into English, the meaning of gang shifted to ‘a group of people’.

Image: Christian Lue

People want the things that they don’t have, and that is the origin of this very important English verb. In Old Norse, vant was a neutral form of vanr, ‘deficient, lacking’. Vanta was ‘to be lacking’. Although the word was adopted by English with the meaning of ‘lacking’ something, its original notion was later extended to ‘needing’ and then ‘desiring’.

Image: Devon Janse van Rensburg

The origins of this term are Scandinavian, most likely the Swedish skúfa, meaning ‘to shove’ or ‘to push’. It was adopted into English in the 1500s to describe small, clumsy tussles and fights, though it later adopted also the meaning of moving in a confused or hurried way.

Image: Sixteen Miles Out

A much more modern term, hygge became popular in English in the last decade. This Danish word is impossible to translate, and it's used to describe a feeling of coziness, contentment, and comfort. Through its Old Germanic roots, hygge is related to the English hug.

Image: Emily Campbell

Did you know that geysers are named after an Icelandic geyser called Geysir? The name comes from the Icelandic verb geysa, meaning ‘to gush’ or ‘to go forward’. The Icelandic word for geyser is goshver, but Geysir was so famous that English adopted it as a generic name for all spouting hot springs in the 18th century.

Stop! You’ve been using these 11 objects the wrong way

Image: Diana Polekhina

We use countless objects daily without questioning their design, yet many have hidden features or were meant for entirely different purposes. From kitchen tools to bananas, here are 11 everyday items you might be using all wrong—or that at least have surprising secrets built in.

Image: Anastasia Nikitina

Yes, toothpaste was always intended to clean and polish teeth, but its mild abrasives make it effective for cleaning jewelry, removing stains from clothing, and even defogging mirrors.

Interestingly, the first toothpaste-like substance dates back to ancient Egypt, where a blend of pumice and vinegar was used for oral care. Modern toothpaste, which includes ingredients like baking soda—another household staple—explains why it’s so effective on surfaces beyond just teeth.

Image: Markus Winkler

That hole in your pasta spoon isn’t just for draining water; it can also help measure a perfect portion of dry spaghetti!

A single serving of spaghetti is about the amount that fits through the hole. This design prevents cooking too much or too little, though not all pasta spoons have holes large enough for accurate measuring.

Image: engin akyurt

The latch inside gas pump nozzles was originally designed to shut off fuel flow automatically when the tank is full, not to hold the pump open.

Modern pumps use this mechanism as a safety feature, preventing spills and overflows. In some places, using the latch to hold the nozzle open is even illegal due to fire risks.

Image: Karsten Winegeart

Those metal loops on the back of grocery cart seats aren’t just for show—they’re designed to hold plastic bags with fragile items.

Hanging lighter bags here prevents them from being crushed by heavier groceries in the cart, yet few shoppers take advantage of this simple design. So, next time you go shopping, give it a try—it could be a real lifesaver.

Image: Bam Mccarthy

The hole in a soda can tab isn’t just part of the opening mechanism—it can double as a straw holder. Once you pop the can open, turning the tab around aligns the hole perfectly for a straw. This prevents the straw from floating or shifting while drinking.

While this wasn’t the original intent behind the design, it’s a clever and surprisingly convenient way to make use of an otherwise inconsequential design quirk.

Image: Annie Spratt

If you're like me, this has likely been a brain teaser since childhood: What is the blue side of a two-tone eraser for? Popular wisdom says it's for ink removal, but have you ever tried erasing ink with that side? It just completely obliterates the paper.

Well, it turns out the blue side of a two-tone eraser was actually designed for use on heavier paper, not for removing ink.

Image: Matúš Kameniar

The small bumps on the ‘F’ and ‘J’ keys exist to help typists find their hand placement without looking.

These tactile guides help your fingers find their way back to the home row, enabling faster and more efficient typing. Even if you're not a professional typist, you can rely on this feature to improve both speed and accuracy while writing.

Image: Monika Guzikowska

Ever watched a monkey peel a banana? You might be in for a surprise, because it turns out the easiest way to peel a banana is from the bottom, not the stem.

Monkeys naturally pinch the bottom of the banana and pull, avoiding the struggle of breaking the tough stem. This method also reduces the risk of squishing the fruit inside.

Image: Brett Jordan

The small hole at the end of a measuring tape is designed to hook onto nails or screws for one-person measurements. This feature provides a more stable grip when measuring long distances without needing an extra set of hands.

Also, the serrated edge on some tapes doubles as a tool for marking surfaces. So, next time you don't have a buddy around to help, don’t worry—your measuring tape has you covered!

Image: Andrea Davis

Many people use the drawer under their oven for storage, but it was originally designed as a warming drawer.

This compartment keeps cooked food warm while the rest of the meal finishes, though in some modern models, it may simply be intended for extra storage. Checking your oven’s manual might reveal its true purpose.

Image: Mockup Free

Ever heard someone say you can judge a good wine by the depth of the indentation at the bottom of the bottle? Well, that’s a myth, though it may suggest a better-designed bottle.

The indent at the bottom of a wine bottle, called a punt, helps distribute pressure and maintain structural integrity. Originally designed to support the bottle against carbonation in sparkling wines, it’s now mostly tradition but still improves durability.