rune

rune
Ⅰ. rune1 (ro͞on)
n. 1) a) Any of the characters in several alphabets used by ancient Germanic peoples from the 3rd to the 13th century. b) A similar character in another alphabet, sometimes believed to have magic powers. 2) A poem or incantation of mysterious significance, especially a magic charm.
[Old Norse or Old English rūn.]
Word History: Among early peoples writing was a serious thing, full of magical power. In its only reference to writing, the Iliad calls it "baneful signs." The Germanic peoples used a runic alphabet as their form of writing, using it to identify combs or helmets, make calendars, encode secret messages, and mark funeral monuments. Runes were also employed in casting spells, as to gain a kiss from a sweetheart or to make an enemy's gut burst. In casting a spell the writing of the runes was accompanied by a mumbled or chanted prayer or curse, also called a rune, to make the magic work. These two meanings also appear in Old English rūn, the ancestor of our word. The direct descendants of Old English rūn are the archaic verb round, "whisper, talk in secret," and the obsolete noun roun, "whispering, secret talk." The use of the word to refer to inscribed runic characters was revived by Danish writers who adopted it from Old Norse toward the end of the 1600s and used it in discussions of Germanic antiquities.
rune1
detail of inscribed runes
on a stone
near Källby, Sweden
Ⅱ. rune2 (ro͞on)
n. A Finnish poem or section of a poem.
[Finnish runo, of Germanic origin.]

Word Histories. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • rune — rune …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • Rune RK — Birth name Rune Reilly Kølsch Also known as Rune, Heavy Rock Born 1979 (age 31–32) Origin Copenhagen, Denmark Genres …   Wikipedia

  • rune — [ ryn ] n. f. • 1653; norv. rune, et suéd. runa; got. runa « secret; écriture secrète » ♦ Didact. Caractère de l ancien alphabet des langues germaniques orientales (gotique) et septentrionales (nordique ou norrois). Les runes nous sont connues… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Rune — (r[udd]n), n. [AS. r[=u]n a rune, a secret, a mystery; akin to Icel. r[=u]n, OHG. & Goth. r[=u]na a secret, secret colloquy, G. & Dan. rune rune, and probably to Gr. ereyna^n to search for. Cf. {Roun} to whisper.] 1. A letter, or character,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • rune — RÚNE s.f. pl. Caractere grafice ale celor mai vechi alfabete germanice. – Din germ. Runen, fr. runes. Trimis de LauraGellner, 12.11.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  rúne s. f. pl. Trimis de siveco, 10.08.2004. Sursa: Dicţionar ortografic  …   Dicționar Român

  • Rune — Sf erw. fach. (17. Jh., runisch runa 6. Jh.) Entlehnung. Als Bezeichnung der alten germanischen Schriftzeichen wiederbelebt aus anord. rún, ae. rūn Rune . Dieses wird üblicherweise verknüpft mit einem Wort für Geheimnis, Geraune (raunen). Sicher… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • rune — O.E. run, rune secret, mystery, dark mysterious statement, also a runic letter, from P.Gmc. *runo (Cf. O.N. run a secret, magic sign, runic character, O.H.G. runa a secret conversation, whisper, Goth. runa), from PIE *ru no , source of technical… …   Etymology dictionary

  • rune — rȗne ž mn DEFINICIJA znakovno pismo (nastalo poč. nove ere) isprva starih Germana, potom osobito Skandinavaca, sačuvano u natpisima na kamenim pločama i predmetima od drugog materijala ETIMOLOGIJA njem. Rune ← germ. runa: tajna ≃ skand. raunen …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • rune — rune; rune·staff; …   English syllables

  • Rune — Rune: Mhd. rūne, ahd. rūna »Geheimnis; geheime Beratung; Geflüster«, got. rūna »Geheimnis; ‹geheimer› Ratschluss«, aengl. rūn »Geheimnis; Beratung; Runenzeichen«, aisl. rūn »Geheimnis; Zauberzeichen; Runenzeichen« beruhen auf germ. *rūnō… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • rune — [ro͞on] n. [ME roun < OE run, secret, mystery, runic character; readopted in the 17th c. in form of ON rūn: both < IE echoic base * reu , hoarse sound, roar, grumble > Welsh rhin, secret, L raucus, hoarse; in RUNE sense 3a < Finn runo …   English World dictionary

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