Etymology Explorer › Norwegian

Where does “Rune” come from?

Rune (Norwegian) comes from Old Norse Rúni, from Old Norse rúni, from Proto-Germanic rūnô, from Proto-Germanic rūnō, from Proto-Celtic rūnā — secret, mystery.

Ancestry of “Rune”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old NorseRúni—
2Old Norserúni—
3Proto-Germanicrūnôcounselor
4Proto-Germanicrūnōsecret, mystery; rune
5Proto-Celticrūnāsecret, mystery
Every word from Proto-Celtic rūnā →