berserk

== English == === Etymology === The noun is borrowed from Old Norse berserkr (“Norse warrior who fights in a frenzy”), probably from bjǫrn (“bear”) + serkr (“coat; shirt”), referring to the bearskins which the warriors wore. Bjǫrn is possibly ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“brown”); and serkr from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind, tie together; thread”). Alternatively, it has been suggested that the first element of the word is from berr (“bare, naked”), referring to warriors who went into battle without armour, but this is now thought unlikely. Doublet of berserker. The adjective is derived from the noun. The verb might partly be a back-formation from berserker, analyzed as containing the suffix -er. === Pronunciation === Noun: (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈbɜːsɜːk/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈbɚˌsɚk/ Adjective: (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /bəˈzɜːk/, /bɜː-/, /-ˈsɜːk/ (General American) IPA(key): /bɚˈsɚk/, /-ˈzɚk/ (General American, r-dissimilation) IPA(key): /bəˈsɚk/, /-ˈzɚk/ Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)k Hyphenation: ber‧serk === Noun === berserk (plural berserks) (historical) Synonym of berserker (“a Norse warrior who fought in a frenzy”). ==== Alternative forms ==== beserk, berzerk ==== Derived terms ==== beresque (Australian, jocular) ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== ulfheðinn === Adjective === berserk (comparative more berserk, superlative most berserk) Furiously, injuriously, or maniacally violent or out of control. (by extension) Bizarre; weird. (rare, dialectal, slang) Wildly joyous; ecstatic. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:happy Antonyms: see Thesaurus:unhappy ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== amok === Verb === berserk (third-person singular simple present berserks, present participle berserking, simple past and past participle berserked) (intransitive) To be or become berserk. Synonym: go berserk (transitive) To make berserk. === Notes === === References === === Further reading === Berserker on Wikipedia.Wikipedia “berserk, berserker, beserk”, in Google Books Ngram Viewer. “berserk”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. === Anagrams === Kerbers == Czech == === Alternative forms === berserkr === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈbɛrsɛrk] === Noun === berserk m anim berserk ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “berserk”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957 “berserk”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989 == French == === Etymology === Borrowed from Old Norse berserkr. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /bɛʁ.zɛʁk/ === Noun === berserk m (plural berserks) (historical) berserk, berserker (frenzied Norse warrior) == Polish == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Old Norse berserkr. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈbɛr.sɛrk/ Rhymes: -ɛrsɛrk Syllabification: ber‧serk === Noun === berserk m pers (historical, Norse mythology) berserker (Norse warrior who purportedly fought in a trance-like frenzy) ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === berserk in Polish dictionaries at PWN berserkowie in PWN's encyclopedia