collective name for the chief gods of the pagan Scandinavian religion, from Old Norse plural of āss "god," from Proto-Germanic *ansu- (source also of Old High German ansi, Old English os, Gothic ans "god"), from PIE root *ansu- "spirit" (source also of first element in Ahura Mazda (q.v.)).
Entries linking to aesir
Ahura Mazda
the God of Zoroastrianism, from Avestan ahura- "spirit, lord," from Indo-Iranian *asuras, from suffixed form of PIE root *ansu- "spirit" (see Aesir) + Avestan mazda- "wise," from PIE *mens-dhe- "to set the mind" (from root *men- (1) "to think" + root *dhe- "to set, put").
Anselm
masc. proper name, from Latin Anselmus, from Old High German Ansehelm, literally "having a divine helmet," or "with the gods for a hemlet," from ansi "god" (see Aesir) + helm "helmet" (see helm (n.2)). Related: Anselmian.