Futharks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Refers to various forms of runic alphabets used historically by Germanic peoples to write inscriptions; also denotes the characters comprising these alphabets; encompasses the traditional sequence of the runes used in these scripts
2. Denotes the collection of runic letters employed in early Germanic writing systems; signifies the individual runes that make up these alphabets; pertains to the ordered set of symbols used for writing and divination in ancient Germanic cultures
3. Indicates the set of runes forming distinct runic alphabets used by Germanic tribes; represents the characters within these alphabets; relates to the alphabetic sequences used historically for inscription and symbolic purposes

Etymology: The name is built like a spelling: "futhark" is simply the first six letters of the runic alphabet, f, u, th, a, r, k, read in sequence, much as "alphabet" takes its name from the first two Greek letters, alpha and beta. Because the sequence was the defining feature of the system, it became the name for the whole script, and the plural "futharks" refers to the separate runic alphabets that grew out of the same pattern. Those alphabets differ in how many letters they contain and in which signs they use. The Elder Futhark, the earliest form, has 24 characters, and later systems such as the Younger Futhark and the Anglo-Saxon futhorc, which added letters for sounds Old English needed, follow the same opening order with variations. The plural therefore names a family of related inventories rather than one fixed set.

Synonyms: runic alphabets