Egersund

Norwegian Bokmål

A view of Egersund, in Norway.

Etymology

From Old Norse Eikundarsund (“the strait between Eigerøya and the mainland”), first part is a form of Eikund (“Eigerøya”), where eik (“oak, tree”) refers to all the oak trees situated on the island, from Proto-Germanic *aiks (“oak tree, oak (wood)”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éyǵs (“oak”), from *h₂eyǵ- (“goat, oak”). Last part sund (“swimming; narrow waters (which you can swim across)”), from Proto-Germanic *sundą (“swimming, sound, strait”), from earlier *swumdan, from Proto-Indo-European *swm̥tóm.

The name is among the oldest place names in Norway. It can already be found in the form 'Eikundarsund' in the Norse saga of Olav the Holy, written by Icelandic author Snorri Sturlasson in the 13th century. From around the year 1000 Olav the Holy's fleet was here often. We can also find the name in texts and scaldic poems from Olav's saga.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /eːɡɛˈʂʉn/, /eːɡɛˈʁsʉn/

• Audio

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• Rhymes: -ʉn
• Hyphenation: Eg‧er‧sund

Proper noun

Egersund

1. Egersund (a coastal town, urban area, and administrative center of Eigersund, Vestlandet, Norway)

Derived terms

• Egersundfeltet (“a geological formation that covers the entire southeastern Rogaland”)

References

• “Egersund” in Store norske leksikon

Norwegian Nynorsk

Proper noun

Egersund

1. a town (with bystatus) in Eigersund, Rogaland, Norway