Fehu

 ( Runes ) 

Fehu is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name for the Runes (; ), found as the first rune in all (runic alphabets starting with F, U, Þ, Ą, R, K), i.e. the Elder Futhark, the Anglo-Frisian Futhark and the Younger Futhark, with continued use in the later medieval runes, early modern runes and Dalecarlian runes.

It corresponds to the letter f in the Latin alphabet, but it can periodically shift into the sound value of v (compare "leaf" and "leaves").

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Character The shape of the rune is likely based on Etruscan v ⟨𐌅⟩ ⟨⟩, like Greek Digamma ⟨Ϝ⟩ and Latin ⟨F⟩ ultimately from Phoenician waw ⟨⟩.

The change of the bistaves pointing upward could stem from visually diverging it from the rune ᚨ, as well as linking it visually to the horns of cattle (see ).

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Name The root name is an ancient word for "livestock". Compare ("livestock, animal"), ("livestock, cattle"), ("livestock"), ("livestock, loose assets"), ("livestock, money"), fehu ("livestock"), , pecūs ("livestock"), ( paṧu, "livestock, cattle"). By extension, it also means '(loose) wealth' and thereof, thus surviving as fee in English with the meaning of "payment compensating for rights or services".

The Proto-Germanic name has been reconstructed as fehu, with the meaning of "livestock, cattle" and by extension "wealth".Page, Raymond I. (2005) Runes. The British Museum Press. p. 15.

The corresponding letter of the Gothic alphabet is ⟨𐍆⟩ ⟨f⟩, called faihu. Such correspondence between all rune poems and the Gothic letter name, as well, is uncommon, and gives the reconstructed name of the Elder Futhark a high degree of certainty.

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Rune poems The name is recorded in all three :Original poems from the Rune Poem Page.

Old Norwegian:

Old Icelandic:

Old English:

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See also

• Félag

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