saga

noun

sa·​ga ˈsä-gə 

 also  ˈsa-

1

: a prose narrative recorded in Iceland in the 12th and 13th centuries of historic or legendary figures and events of the heroic age of Norway and Iceland

2

: a modern heroic narrative resembling the Icelandic saga

3

: a long detailed account

a saga of the Old South

also : a dramatic and often complicated story or series of events

For many people, the process caps an already lengthy immigration saga …

—Nora Caplan-Bricker

A federal appeals court hears arguments Tuesday in the legal saga of two film producers fighting long prison terms and prosecutions …

—Jordan S. Rubin

Did you know?

The original sagas were Icelandic prose narratives that were roughly analogous to modern historical novels. They were penned in the 12th and 13th centuries, and blended fact and fiction to tell the tales of famous rulers, legendary heroes, and average folks of Iceland and Norway. And they were aptly named: saga traces back to an Old Norse root that means "tale." The English word first referred only to those original Icelandic stories, but saga later broadened to cover other narratives reminiscent of those, and the word was eventually further generalized to cover any long, complicated scenario.

Did you know?

A Brief History of Saga

Saga was originally used to describe Icelandic prose narratives composed in the 12th and 13th centuries. The word first appeared in English in that sense during the 18th century; by the middle of the 19th century we were employing saga in a somewhat looser fashion, in reference to modern stories involving heroic deeds that bore some resemblance to the Icelandic tales of yore. By the 20th century saga had come to be applied to other written works, typically a novel or series of novels, especially those that took place over a significant period of time. Today the word may also be used to describe a long and drawn-out story that is either written or spoken (as in “my neighbor told me the saga of his divorce again”). Saga comes from an Old Norse word of the same spelling. It does not have any connection with the adjective sagacious (“possessing quick intellectual perceptions”), which comes from the Latin sagax (“sagacious”).

Examples of saga in a Sentence

the saga of a shipwrecked crew

Her first novel was a family saga set in Iowa.

Getting our car back turned into quite a saga.

Recent Examples on the Web

Buy Now 19 of 24 'A Yellow Raft in Blue Water' by Michael Dorris Three generations of Native American women come together in this multi-generational saga: 15-year-old Rayona, her mother Christine, and her grandmother, Ida. —Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024

In both sagas, both overlords eventually meet their downfall, along with the collapse of their totalitarian government. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Old Norse — more at saw

First Known Use

1709, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing saga

• saga novel

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Kids Definition

saga

noun

sa·​ga ˈsäg-ə 

1

: a tale of figures and events of Norway and Iceland from history or legend

2

: a story of heroic deeds