I learned this neat bit of trivia from the Merriam-Webster Word Of The Day for today.
Did you know? "Berserk" comes from Old Norse "berserkr," which combines "ber-" ("bear") and "serkr" ("shirt"). According to Norse legend, "berserkrs" were warriors who wore bearskin coverings and worked themselves into such frenzies during combat that they became immune to the effects of steel and fire. "Berserk" was borrowed into English (first as a noun and later as an adjective) in the early 19th century, when interest in Scandinavian myth and history was high. It was considered a slang term at first, but it has since gained broader acceptance.
Only 48 to "24"! WhooHoo! Two Days to go. Check my sidebar for show reminder. Do you think Jack Bauer will warrant a bear shirt? :)
Do you still look at my "I Love Your Blog" link? If not, be sure and click on it today for a prize photograph you won't want to miss titled "Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow".
The final "Color Me Who?" contest winners were announced here last night. Be sure and congratulate the winners and thank Rachel for letting me use her profile photo.
interesting history about the word berserk. i love learning about language and word derivations.
ReplyDeleteit would be nice if you kept a running list of the blogs you highlight on ILYB. i'm sure i've missed a few. :)
Did you miss yourself? You've been featured there at least twice:)
ReplyDeleteI knew about the beserkers as they were called. Pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteI probably shouldn't admit it but I don't warch "24".
Who knew? Interesting post, GA. I had no knowledge of the berserks. but I've been known to act like one a time or two in my life:)
ReplyDeleteseriously? i go over there quite a bit, i never saw it. lol! thanks for the plug, annie. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm in CA until the end of Jan, but you bet your sweet bippy I've got 24 set to record!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYES, Jack warrants a bear shirt!
Congrats to Scarlet, Tabor, and Marla!!!
I'll have to see the drawing you did of Rachel.
Time to scroll down and read some more...
Happy New Year!!
I use that word a lot so it's nice to know its origin.
ReplyDeleteHi Annie!
ReplyDeleteI love the etymology posts you've written- language and history are two subjects that always manage to fascinate.
I hope you enjoy Sunday's "24" premiere too! At my blog it's all Bauer all the time now. Finally!
I need to get a "history of one word each day" calendar, or something like that...I love trivia as it relates to language.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog link - what a great photo!
ReplyDelete