What does "Viking" mean?

The word "Viking" originates from an ancient language, and there are a few different proposed meanings, including definitions relating to piracy and raiding or a reference to more benign traveling and adventure. Both noun and verb forms of the word may have existed at the time the Viking culture was alive and well during the late first and early second centuries C.E.

Some sources say that in the Old Norse language, the word "Viking" simply referred to a man from a place called "Vik." Most sources, however, seem to agree that the word has something to do with travel relating to either adventure or profit sought in foreign lands, which seems consistent with Vikings' activities.