Ansuz rune
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The a-rune 
, Younger Futhark ᚬ was probably named after the Æsir, in Proto-Germanic *Ansuz.
The shape of the rune is likely from Neo-Etruscan a (𐌀 
), 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:
- Óss er algingautr
- ok ásgarðs jöfurr,
- ok valhallar vísi.
- Jupiter oddviti.
- Óss is aged Gautr
- and prince of Ásgardr
- and lord of Vallhalla.
Ihe Norwegian rune poem, Óss has a meaning of "estuary" while in the Anglo-Saxon one, Futhorc Os ᚩ has the Latin meaning of "mouth".
The name of 
a in the Gothic alphabet is ahsa. The common Germanic name of the rune may thus have either been ansuz "God, one of the Æsir", or ahsam "ear (of corn)" and cognate with answer.
A variant of the rune is Futharc Æsc ᚫ "ash". The Latin ligature Æ in Old English was called Æsc after the rune. Another variant is Ac "oak" ᚪ.
[edit] See also
| Rune alphabet | see also: Rune poems · Runestones · Runology · Runic divination · Runes in popular culture | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elder Fuþark: | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚨ | ᚱ | ᚲ | ᚷ | ᚹ | ᚺ | ᚾ | ᛁ | ᛃ | ᛇ | ᛈ | ᛉ | ᛊ | ᛏ | ᛒ | ᛖ | ᛗ | ᛚ | ᛜ | ᛞ | ᛟ | ||||||
| Anglo-Saxon Fuþorc: | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚩ | ᚱ | ᚳ | ᚷ | ᚹ | ᚻ | ᚾ | ᛁ | ᛄ | ᛇ | ᛈ | ᛉ | ᛋ | ᛏ | ᛒ | ᛖ | ᛗ | ᛚ | ᛝ | ᛞ | ᛟ | ᚪ | ᚫ | ᚣ | ᛠ | ||
| Younger Fuþark: | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚬ | ᚱ | ᚴ | ᚼ | ᚾ | ᛁ | ᛅ | ᛋ | ᛏ | ᛒ | ᛘ | ᛚ | ᛦ | ||||||||||||||
| transliteration: | f | u | þ | a | r | k | g | w | h | n | i | j | a | ï | p | z | s | t | b | e | m | l | ŋ | d | o | R | a | æ | y | ea |
