Имеется в виду буквальное значение слова. The word is meant in its literal sense.
1 Answer
Well, it is just the ethnic name, Vaeringjar in Old Islandic or væringi in Old Norse. It probably got into Slavic languages via Greek Βάραγγοι.
The word itself is probably a compound of vár "pledge" and gengi "companion", i.e. "a sworn person" or "a foreigner who has taken service with a new lord by a treaty of fealty to him, or protégé".
Source: English and Russian Wikipedia.
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It's not all clear about this etymology. We have a resembling Swedish word 'varg' meaning 'wolf' which differs from Icelandic úlfur, Danish/Norwegian ulv, etc. However, this word is very much like Hugarian 'farkas', Moksha вьрьгаз, Erzyan верьгиз, and common Uralo-Fennic 'ver' (blood).– ManjusriFeb 1, 2013 at 14:51
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1@Manjusri - According to the historical development of the Slavic languages, this я in варЯг could't appear out of nothing, it had to develop from a nasalized vowel, which, in turn, had appeared from a vowel + a nasal consonant combination. Texnic's answer fits this development well, but I cannot see the source of this я in the Uralic etymology you propose. Feb 1, 2013 at 15:53
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@Manjusri - But what's the reason for Slavs to call the Northmen "wolves" and to do it in a Finno-Ugric language? Northmen were rather respected and were elected Slavs' princes. Don't you see a logic contradiction here? Besides, Northmen, vikings, never associated themselves with wolves, their totem symbol was the raven. Feb 2, 2013 at 14:38
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There were not just Slaves in Ancient Russia. And speaking about 'respected northmen' or 'their totem' - of which there had been many more types than just raven - is, in my opinion, a mere mythological speculation.– ManjusriFeb 2, 2013 at 16:26