karl
n. countablen. a man of low social rank or a common person. In old stories, it often refers to a peasant or someone who works on a farm.
n. a man of low social status; a commoner or peasant. Historically used to denote a free man of the lowest rank, though it later evolved into a term of contempt.
The old stories tell of a brave karl who challenged the king.
In the social hierarchy of the time, a karl held more rights than a thrall but remained far below the nobility.
The sagas frequently depict the karl as a figure of sturdy independence, bound to the land yet possessing a distinct legal identity within the early Germanic social structure.
From German and North Germanic (Scandinavian) Karl, from Germanic. Doublet of Charles.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Primarily encountered in historical, literary, or archaic contexts; often capitalised when referring to the specific social class in Old Norse history.
Last updated May 2, 2026