What language did the trading Vikings/Norsemen use?

by [deleted]

[deleted]

EyeStache

We have no contemporary sources that tell us, but some inference from later periods suggests that it depended on who they were trading with, but was likely a pidgin of Old Norse and the local language. We can see elements of linguistic exchange across a number of languages, particularly English.

Edward Smith has a fairly exhaustive list of loanwords available on his site, if you're interested in examples.