The first thing one should note is that English suffix '-er' often
corresponds to Norse '-are' rather than '-r'. The former being a weak
masculine ending, and the latter a strong masc. ending (in general).

The noun 'riddare' could be a Norse candidate for 'rider', but it is -
- as Haukur points out -- a word meaning more something like 'knight'.

I do not find 'ridare' satisfying in Swedish Norse. In other contexts
than certain kind of motion involving two persons in a bed, that is
(The same with the verb 'rida', which is more like a sexual act.
Cultivated people in Sweden say 'sitta på hästrygg' rather
than 'rida' -- I am not cultivated, though).

The most common word in modern Swedish is 'ryttare', but it is hardly
of Old Norse origin. (From Latin 'rutarius'?)

An older Swedish word is 'hästeman', but I have only noticed it in a
written form, never actually heard it. It corresponds to
Icelandic 'hestamaður'.


Skål ta mej faan!

/Jens Persson



--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, Haukur Thorgeirsson
<haukurth@...> wrote:
> > Could someone please tell me what the norse word for "rider" is?
> > I've found the verb "ridha" -- "to ride" -- so I thought "rider"
might be "ridhr" but I'm not sure.
>
> 'Riddari' or 'ríðari' but both suggest "knight".
>
> Two common modern compounds are 'reiðmaður' and 'hestamaður'.
>
> Kveðja,
> Haukur