Meanings
plural Varangians
- historicalA member of the ethnically Scandinavian people around the borders of Constantinople in the ninth and tenth centuries.
Synonyms: Varyag
- historicalA member of the imperial body guard at Constantinople from 955.
The Byzantines continued to recruit elite warriors from the north, not merely from Rus’ but directly from far-off Scandinavia; from the end of the tenth century, they referred to them as ‘Varangians’.
2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 506
- not comparableOf or pertaining to the Varangians.
- not comparableOf or pertaining to the Varanger Peninsula in Norway.
- not comparablegeographyPertaining to a period of intense glaciation during the late Proterozoic eon.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA member of the ethnically Scandinavian people around the borders of Constantinople in the ninth and tenth centuries.
Origin
- Old Norseværingr
- Medieval LatinVaringus
- Medieval GreekΒάραγγος
- EnglishVarangian
Ultimately from Medieval Greek Βάραγγος (Bárangos), from Medieval Latin Varingus, from Old Norse væringr, from várr (“pledge”) or værr (“pledge”), which is cognate with Old English wǣr (“fidelity, loyalty”), + Old Norse gangi (“companion”). Cognate with Old English wærgenga.
More words from Medieval Greek, Medieval Latin, Old Norse
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian варя́г
- варя́г (varjág)member of a Scandinavian tribe
Chinese Mandarin 瓦良格人, 瓦里亞基人
- 瓦良格人 (Wǎliánggé rén)member of a Scandinavian tribe
- 瓦里亞基人 (Wǎlǐyǎjī rén)member of a Scandinavian tribe
Danish væring, væring
- væringmember of a Scandinavian tribe
- væringmember of the imperial body guard at Constantinople from 955
Dutch Varjaag
- Varjaagmember of a Scandinavian tribe
Finnish varjagi, varanki
- varjagimember of a Scandinavian tribe
- varankimember of a Scandinavian tribe
- varjagikaartimember of the imperial body guard at Constantinople from 955
French Varègue
- Varèguemember of a Scandinavian tribe
German Waräger
- Warägermember of a Scandinavian tribe
Greek Βάραγγος, Βαράγγειοι
- Βάραγγος (Várangos)member of a Scandinavian tribe
- Βαράγγειοι (Varángeioi)member of the imperial body guard at Constantinople from 955
Icelandic Væringi, Væringi
- Væringimember of a Scandinavian tribe
- Væringimember of the imperial body guard at Constantinople from 955
- værangískurof or pertaining to the Varangians
Italian variago, variago
- variagomember of a Scandinavian tribe
- variagomember of the imperial body guard at Constantinople from 955
Japanese ヴァリャーグ
- ヴァリャーグ (Varyāgu)member of a Scandinavian tribe
Norwegian væring
- væringmember of a Scandinavian tribe
Portuguese varangiano, varangiano
- varangianomember of a Scandinavian tribe
- varangianomember of the imperial body guard at Constantinople from 955
Russian варя́г, варя́жский
- варя́г (varjág)member of a Scandinavian tribe
- варя́жский (varjážskij)of or pertaining to the Varangians
Slovak Variagovia
- Variagoviamember of a Scandinavian tribe
Spanish varego, varego
- varegomember of a Scandinavian tribe
- varegomember of the imperial body guard at Constantinople from 955
Swedish varjag, väring
- varjagmember of a Scandinavian tribe
- väringmember of a Scandinavian tribe
- rusmember of a Scandinavian tribe
- väringmember of the imperial body guard at Constantinople from 955
Ukrainian варя́г
- варя́г (varjáh)member of a Scandinavian tribe
Cite this entry
Varangian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Varangian
“Varangian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Varangian. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Varangian,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Varangian.
Source: Varangian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.