'Valkyrie' originates from Old Norse, specifically the word 'valkyrja,' where 'val-' meant 'slain' and '-kyrja' meant 'chooser.'

'valkyrja' transformed into the Old English word 'wælcyrge,' and eventually became the modern English word 'Valkyrie.'

Initially, it meant 'chooser of the slain,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.