Meanings
noun
- artsin Nordic folklore: an amulet, a type of "galder letter" (worn written spell), which protects against damage in war, especially sword wounds
Origin
- North Germanic
- Englishsword letter
Calque of North Germanic, compare: Danish sværdbrev, Swedish svärdbrev, Norwegian Nynorsk sverdbrev; compound of sword + letter.
More words from North Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Danish sværdbrev, sverdbrev swerdtbreff
- sværdbrevprotection amulet in Nordic folklore
- sverdbrev swerdtbreffprotection amulet in Nordic folklore
- suerdbreffprotection amulet in Nordic folklore
- suerbreffprotection amulet in Nordic folklore
- suerd breffprotection amulet in Nordic folklore
- suerdbreffueprotection amulet in Nordic folklore
Swedish svärdbrev, svärdsbrev
- svärdbrevprotection amulet in Nordic folklore
- svärdsbrevprotection amulet in Nordic folklore
Cite this entry
APA
sword letter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sword%20letter
MLA
“sword letter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sword%20letter. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sword letter,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sword%20letter.
Source: sword letter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.