Rune
/ruːn/noun
A letter of an ancient Germanic alphabet, or a magical inscription or symbol in modern usage.
Did you know?The English word comes from a Germanic root meaning “secret” or “mystery,” which is why runes were historically linked with hidden knowledge rather than just letters.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*rūnō
“secret, mystery, confidential speech”
Old English
OE
rūn
“secret, counsel, mystery; later also a rune letter”
Old Norse
ON
rún
“secret, whisper, rune”
Old High German
OHG
rūna
“secret, whisper”
Middle English
ME
rune
“a character of the runic alphabet”
Modern English
English
rune
“a letter of an ancient Germanic alphabet; by extension, a magical symbol or inscription”