ᚾ *naudiz

Line of descent

History

The n rune is a stave crossed by a short slanting bar. Its source is uncertain. A North Italic N has been suggested, and so has a simplified Latin N. The shape stayed stable. The Younger Futhark long-branch form is the same, and the short-twig form ᚿ keeps only half the cross-bar.

The name *naudiz "need, distress" is well supported by all three poems: Old English nȳd, Old Norse nauðr. Each poem treats need differently. The Old English stanza says need can become a help to those who heed it in time. The Norwegian says need leaves a narrow choice, and the Icelandic calls it the grief of the bondwoman. The modern English word need is the same word.

n is common in Proto-Germanic endings and is well attested. The Øvre Stabu spearhead reads raunijaz (late 2nd century). The Gallehus horn has horna, and the Einang stone has runo "rune". On the Lindholm bone piece a run of nnn stands in the string of repeated runes after the main text.

The rune passed unchanged in value into the Younger Futhark and the futhorc. Younger Futhark carvers often left a nasal unwritten before a consonant made in the same part of the mouth, so the Jelling stones write kunukR for konungr "king".

In the rune poems

Original text from the public-domain editions named on each poem's page; translations are our own.

Where it is found

• Øvre Stabu spearhead (N KJ31): raunija(z)
• Gallehus horn (DR 12): horna
• Einang stone (N KJ63): runo

On inscriptions described on this site

Sources

• Samnordisk runtextdatabas (Rundata), signa N KJ31, DR 12, N KJ63, DR 261, DR 41
• Dickins (1915), note to Old English rune poem l. 27