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On the Etymology of German Rune Words

Publication at Faculty of Arts |
2016

Abstract

According to Tacitus, Germania 10, by the Germanes created oracles by which the signs of the will of gods is detected, is the germ. form *rūnō- 'secret (abstr.), Rune (partic.)' in the sense of 'the report of the oracle, the result of the oracle querying' to analyse as genetic with Old Ir. rún 'secret ' identical verbal abstract *h1rúh1-nah2- > west-idg. *rnā-. This formation is based on the secondary root of the used stem of the terminative idg. u-presence *h1réh1-u-/ *h1h1-u- 'to ask, to study' (type *térh2-u-/ *th2-u- > heth. tarḫuzzi, ved. tūrvati 'overcome'), which continues in gr. εἴρομαι 'ask' Med. < *er--e/o- LEFTWARDS ARROW 3.Pl. *er--ento LEFTWARDS ARROW 3.Sg. *er-u-to < *h1h1-u-tó.