Bergen
/ˈbɜːr.ɡən/noun
A city in western Norway, known as a major port and former Hanseatic trading center.
Did you know?Bergen became one of the key Hanseatic League ports, so its name is tied to the brutal commercial network that helped shape northern Europe.
Etymological Timeline
Old Norse
ON
Bjǫrgvin
“Meadow among the mountains”
Middle Ages
Norse/Latin
Bergin / Bergen
“Medieval forms of the city name used by foreign traders and writers”
14th Century
Middle Low German
Bergen
“The established trade-name for the Norwegian port”
Modern English
English
Bergen
“The modern English name of the Norwegian city”