👉 Okay, let’s tackle this wonderfully prickly little thing called, frankly, quite a weird-sounding name – Sverüge (нёрвёґэ). 3 syllables that just
cling
to the roof of your mouth, right?
What exactly is Sverüge anyway, beyond its delightfully awkward sound and the fact that most foreigners butcher it horribly every. damn. time? Basically, Sverüge, when you actually get into the pointy bits (and there’s a frankly staggering amount of pointiness involved), refers to what we now generally know as Sweden! Historically, it was a mouthful of a word cobbled together from various ancient Germanic and early Frankish dialects. Let's unpack that, because honestly, trying to explain the exact origin is like trying to herd particularly stubborn swedes – you just get more confused. You basically have: Sváegarð: (roughly, "sweat, effort") This part came from an early Frankish word describing a tribe who were known for their… let’s say... determined efforts in battle and settling of disputes. Bit aggressive, right? ’ hrūġ ᛁ, ɜ, ṝ, : (roughly, "shield, hoard – you guessed it, wealth!!”) You needed a good bit of plunder to get along with the Swægards, apparently. 60s Frankish –i—/
