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In Old Norse, the language of medieval Scandinavia, 'víking' meant a raiding voyage and a 'víkingr' was someone who joined one; most people of the Viking Age were farmers, traders and craftspeople, not raiders.

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Where the word comes from is still debated. One idea links it to vík, a bay or inlet, as if vikings were men who waited in coves; another to vika, a stretch of rowing between changes of crew. On Viking-Age runestones, men are said to have gone 'in víking', a voyage rather than an identity. Old English writers used a related word, wicing, for sea raiders. Archaeology shows that most Scandinavians of the time farmed, fished, traded and built ships; calling a whole people 'Vikings' became common only in the 19th century.

Türkçe oku
Ortaçağ İskandinavlarının dili Eski Norsçada “víking” bir yağma seferine, “víkingr” de böyle bir sefere katılan kişiye denirdi. Viking Çağı'nda yaşayanların çoğu ise akıncı değil; çiftçi, tüccar ve zanaatkârdı.

Sözcüğün kökeni hâlâ tartışmalı. Bir görüşe göre koy anlamına gelen vík sözcüğünden gelir ve koylarda pusuya yatan denizcileri anlatır; başka bir görüşe göre kürekçilerin nöbet değiştirene kadar çektiği mesafeye verilen vika adından türemiştir. Viking Çağı'ndan kalma run taşlarında birilerinin “víking'e çıktığı” yazar; yani sözcük bir kimliği değil, bir yolculuğu anlatır. Eski İngilizcede de deniz akıncıları için benzer bir sözcük, wicing, kullanılırdı. Arkeolojiye göre dönemin İskandinavlarının çoğu çiftçilik, balıkçılık, ticaret ve gemicilikle geçiniyordu; bütün bir halka “Viking” demek ancak 19. yüzyılda yaygınlaştı.

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