Runic alphabet

E13465
alphabet ancient script writing system

The Runic alphabet is an ancient writing system used by Germanic peoples, primarily for inscriptions in early Germanic languages across Northern Europe and Scandinavia.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (10)

Surface form Occurrences
Elder Futhark 3
Younger Futhark 2
Armanen runes 1

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf alphabet ⓘ
ancient script ⓘ
writing system ⓘ
AngloSaxonFuthorcLetterCount between 26 and 33 ⓘ
associatedWith Norse mythology ⓘ
associatedWithDeity Odin ⓘ
characterSetName Runic alphabet self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Futhark
continuedLimitedUseUntil early modern period ⓘ
culturalContext Germanic paganism ⓘ
derivedFrom Old Italic script ⓘ
surface form: Old Italic scripts
earliestEvidence 2nd century CE ⓘ
ElderFutharkLetterCount 24 ⓘ
laterReplacedBy Latin alphabet ⓘ
mainVariant Old English ⓘ
surface form: Anglo-Saxon Futhorc

Runic alphabet self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Dalecarlian runes

Runic alphabet self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Elder Futhark

Medieval runes ⓘ
Runic alphabet self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Younger Futhark
materialTypicallyInscribedOn bone ⓘ
metal ⓘ
stone ⓘ
wood ⓘ
nameOrigin named from its first six letters: F, U, Þ, A, R, K ⓘ
notableCorpus runestones ⓘ
notableRegionOfUse Viking Age ⓘ
surface form: Viking Age Scandinavia
possiblyDerivedFrom Latin alphabet ⓘ
scriptType consonantary ⓘ
segmental alphabet ⓘ
timePeriod 2nd century CE to Middle Ages ⓘ
UnicodeBlock Runic alphabet self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Runic
UnicodeRange 16A0–16FF ⓘ
usedBy Germanic peoples ⓘ
usedFor amulets ⓘ
coins ⓘ
everyday objects ⓘ
inscriptions ⓘ
magical or ritual texts ⓘ
memorial stones ⓘ
short legal or practical messages ⓘ
weapons ⓘ
usedForLanguage Gothic (sporadically) ⓘ
Old English ⓘ
Old High German ⓘ
Old Norse ⓘ
Proto-Norse ⓘ
usedForLanguageFamily Germanic languages ⓘ
usedInRegion Northern Europe ⓘ
Scandinavia ⓘ
writingDirection left-to-right ⓘ
YoungerFutharkLetterCount 16 ⓘ

Referenced by (16)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Runic alphabet → UnicodeBlock → Runic alphabet self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Runic
SS runes → basedOn → Runic alphabet ⓘ
this entity surface form: Armanen runes
Runic alphabet → characterSetName → Runic alphabet self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Futhark
Old East Norse → hasWritingSystem → Runic alphabet ⓘ
this entity surface form: Younger Futhark runic alphabet
this entity surface form: Younger Futhark
Greek alphabet → influenced → Runic alphabet ⓘ
this entity surface form: Gothic alphabet
North Italic alphabet → influenced → Runic alphabet ⓘ
this entity surface form: Runic alphabet (hypothesized)
Old Italic script → influenced → Runic alphabet ⓘ
Proto-Canaanite script → influenced → Runic alphabet ⓘ
this entity surface form: runic alphabet
Runic alphabet → mainVariant → Runic alphabet self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Elder Futhark
Runic alphabet → mainVariant → Runic alphabet self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Younger Futhark
Runic alphabet → mainVariant → Runic alphabet self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Dalecarlian runes
Tyr → runeScript → Runic alphabet ⓘ
this entity surface form: Elder Futhark
Lombardic → writingSystem → Runic alphabet ⓘ
Northumbrian → writingSystem → Runic alphabet ⓘ
Proto-Norse → writingSystem → Runic alphabet ⓘ
this entity surface form: Elder Futhark