Ansuz (rune)
The a-rune ᚨ, Younger Futhark ᚬ was probably called *ansuz in Proto-Germanic, to which the Norse name Æsir is attributed.
The shape of the rune is likely from Neo-Etruscan a (), like Latin A ultimately from Phoenician Aleph.
Its name survives only in the Icelandic rune poem as óss, however, referring to Odin, identified with Jupiter:
- ᚬÓss er algingautr
- ok ásgarðs jöfurr,
- ok valhallar vísi.
- Jupiter oddviti.
- Óss is aged Gautr
- and prince of Ásgardr
- and lord of Vallhalla.
- chief Jupiter
The Norwegian rune poem, óss has a meaning of "estuary" while in the Anglo-Saxon one, Futhorc ōs ᚩ has the Latin meaning of "mouth". The Younger Futhark rune is transliterated as ą to distinguish it from the new ár rune (ᛅ), which continues the Jēran rune after loss of prevocalic *j- in Proto-Norse *jár (Old Saxon jār).
Since the name of a is attested in the Gothic alphabet as ahsa, the common Germanic name of the rune may thus either have been *ansuz "god", or *ahsam "ear (of corn)".
A variant of the rune is Futhorc æsc ᚫ "ash". The Latin ligature æ in Old English was called æsc after the rune. Another variant is ac "oak" ᚪ.