Wynn

This article is about the letter. For other uses, see Wynn (disambiguation).

Letter of the Old English alphabet

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Wynn" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Ƿ ƿ
(See below)
Usage
Writing system| Adapted from Futhorc into Latin script
Type| Alphabetic and logographic
Language of origin| Old English
Sound values| [w]
/wɪn/
In Unicode| `U+01F7, U+01BF`
History
Development|

* Ƿ ƿ

Time period| ~700 to ~1100
Descendants| Ꝩ ꝩ
Sisters| Ꝩ ꝩ
Transliterations| w
Variations| (See below)
Other
Associated graphs| w
Writing direction| Left-to-right
This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

This article contains runic characters. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of runes.

Name| Proto-Germanic| Old English

|
|

*Wunjō| Wynn
"joy"
Shape| Elder Futhark| Futhorc
Unicode| ᚹ

U+16B9

Transliteration| w
Transcription| w
IPA| [w]
Position in
rune-row| 8
Wynn in the Hildebrandslied manuscript (830s): the text reads ƿiges ƿarne. Capital wynn appears twice in this 10th century inscription in Breamore: her sƿutelað seo gecƿydrædnes ðe (Here is manifested the Word to thee).

Wynn or wyn[1] (Ƿ ƿ; also spelled wen, win, ƿynn, ƿyn, ƿen, and ƿin) is a letter of the Old English alphabet, where it is used to represent the sound /w/.

## History

[edit]

### The letter "W"

[edit]

While the earliest Old English texts represent this phoneme with the digraph ⟨uu⟩, scribes soon borrowed the rune wynn ᚹ for this purpose. It remained a standard letter throughout the Anglo-Saxon era, eventually falling out of use during the Middle English period, circa 1300.[2] In post-wynn texts, it was sometimes replaced with ⟨u⟩ but often replaced with a ligature form of ⟨uu⟩, which the modern letter ⟨w⟩ developed from.

### Meaning

[edit]

The denotation of the rune is "joy, bliss", known from the Anglo-Saxon rune poems:[3]

> ᚹ Ƿenne brūceþ, þe can ƿēana lẏt
> sāres and sorge and him sẏlfa hæf
> blǣd and blẏsse and eac bẏrga geniht.

> — Lines 22–24 in the Anglo-Saxon runic poem

> Who uses it knows no pain,
> sorrow nor anxiety, and he himself has
> prosperity and bliss, and also enough shelter.

> — Translation slightly modified from Dickins (1915)

### Miscellaneous

[edit]

It is not continued in the Younger Futhark, but in the Gothic alphabet, the letter 𐍅 w is called winja, allowing a Proto-Germanic reconstruction of the rune's name as *wunjô "joy".

It is one of the two runes (along with thorn, þ) to have been borrowed into the English alphabet (or any extension of the Latin alphabet). A modified version of the letter wynn called vend was used briefly in Old Norse for the sounds /u/, /v/, and /w/.

The rune may have been an original innovation, or it may have been adapted from the classical Latin alphabet's P,[4] or Q,[citation needed] or from the Rhaetic's alphabet's W.[5] As with þ, the letter wynn was revived in modern times for the printing of Old English texts, but since the early 20th century, the usual practice has been to substitute the modern ⟨w⟩.

## Unicode

[edit]

Capital wynn (left), lowercase wynn (right)

The following wynn and wynn-related characters are in Unicode:[6]

* U+01F7 Ƿ LATIN CAPITAL LETTER WYNN
* U+01BF ƿ LATIN LETTER WYNN
* U+16B9 ᚹ RUNIC LETTER WUNJO WYNN W
* U+A768 Ꝩ LATIN CAPITAL LETTER VEND
* U+A769 ꝩ LATIN SMALL LETTER VEND
* U+A7D4 ꟔ <reserved-A7D4>[7]
* U+A7D5 ꟕ LATIN SMALL LETTER DOUBLE WYNN[8]

## Computing codes

[edit]

Character information  Preview | Ƿ | ƿ

|
|

Unicode name  | LATIN CAPITAL LETTER WYNN  | LATIN SMALL LETTER WYNN
Encodings | decimal | hex | dec | hex
Unicode | 503 | U+01F7 | 447 | U+01BF
UTF-8 | 199 183 | C7 B7 | 198 191 | C6 BF
Numeric character reference | &#503; | &#x1F7; | &#447; | &#x1BF;

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "wyn". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
2. ^ Freeborn, Dennis (1992). From Old English to Standard English. London: MacMillan. p. 25\. ISBN 9780776604695.
3. ^ Dickins, Bruce (1915). Runic and Heroic Poems of the Old Teutonic Peoples. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 14–15.
4. ^ Odenstedt, Bengt (1990), On the Origin and Early History of the Runic Script, Typology and Graphic Variation in the Older Futhark, Uppsala, ISBN 91-85352-20-9`{{citation}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link).
5. ^ Gippert, Jost, The Development of Old Germanic Alphabets, Uni Frankfurt, archived from the original on February 25, 2021, retrieved March 21, 2007.
6. ^ "UCD: UnicodeData.txt". The Unicode Standard. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
7. ^ [1], LATIN CAPITAL LETTER DOUBLE WYNN
8. ^ Everson, Michael; West, Andrew (October 5, 2020). "L2/20-268: Revised proposal to add ten characters for Middle English to the UCS" (PDF).

## See also

[edit]

* Digamma
* Eth
* Meldorf fibula
* Thorn (letter)
* Vend (letter)
* Yogh
* Ỽ

* v
* t
* e

Runes

* Runology
* List of runologists
* Rundata

Germanic Elder Futhark
24-type Fuþark
(ca. AD to 9th c.)|

| Normalized
Variations | –
– | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚨ | ᚱ | ᚲ | ᚷ | ᚹ | ᛬ | ᚺ
ᚻ | ᚾ | ᛁ | ᛃ |  | ᛇ | ᛈ | ᛉ | ᛊ
ᛋ | ᛬ | ᛏ | ᛒ | ᛖ | ᛗ | ᛚ | ᛜ
ᛝ | ᛞ | ᛟ

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  | f
| u
y | þ
ð | a
ã | r | k | g | ƿ
v |  | h | n | i | j |  | ï
é | p | z
ʀ | s |  | t | b | e
ɛ | m | l | ŋ | d
ð | o

Anglo-Frisian Futhorc
28-type Fuþorc
(ca. 5th c. to 9th c.)|

| Normalized
Variations | –
– | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚩ | ᚱ | ᚳ | ᚷ | ᚹ |  | ᚻ
ᚺ | ᚾ | ᛁ | ᛄ
ᛡ |  | ᛇ | ᛈ | ᛉ | ᛋ |  | ᛏ | ᛒ | ᛖ | ᛗ | ᛚ | ᛝ
ᛜ | ᛞ | ᛟ |  | ᚪ | ᚫ | ᚣ |  | ᛠ

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  | f
| u
o | þ
ð | o

ö | r | c

ɕ | ȝ

k | ƿ/v |  | h | n | i | j |  | ï

ēo | p | x | s |  | t | b | e
ɛ | m | l | ŋ | d | œ

ōe |  | a | æ | y |  | ea

Later Anglo-Saxon Futhorc
33-type Fuþorc
(ca. 8th c. to 12th c.)|

| Normalized
Variations | –
– | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚩ | ᚱ | ᚳ | ᚷ | ᚹ |  | ᚻ
ᚺ | ᚾ | ᛁ | ᛄ
ᛡ |  | ᛇ | ᛈ | ᛉ | ᛋ |  | ᛏ | ᛒ | ᛖ | ᛗ | ᛚ | ᛝ
ᛜ | ᛞ | ᛟ |  | ᚪ | ᚫ | ᚣ | ᛡ | ᛠ | ᛢ | ᛣ | ᛥ |  | ᚸ |  | ᛤ

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  | f
| u
o | þ
ð | o

ö | r | c

ɕ | ȝ

k | ƿ/v |  | h | n | i | j |  | ï

ēo | p | x | s |  | t | b | e
ɛ | m | l | ŋ | d | œ

ōe |  | a | æ
y | y | īa
īo | ea
æa | q | k | st |  | ḡ |  | k̄

Norse Younger Futhark
16-type Fuþark
(ca. 8th c. to 11th c.)|

| Long-Branch | – | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚬ | ᚱ | ᚴ |  |  | ᛬ | ᚼ | ᚾ | ᛁ |  | ᛅ |  |  |  | ᛋ | ᛬ | ᛏ | ᛒ |  | ᛘ | ᛚ |  |  |  | ᛦ

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Short-Twig | – | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚭ | ᚱ | ᚴ |  |  | ᛬ | ᚽ | ᚿ | ᛁ |  | ᛆ |  |  |  | ᛌ | ᛬ | ᛐ | ᛓ |  | ᛙ | ᛚ |  |  |  | ᛧ
|  | f
| u
y/ö

v/w | þ
ð | ą

å/ǫ | r | k

ŋ |  |  |  | h | n | i

e |  | a
ä |  |  |  | s
z |  | t
d | b
p |  | m | l |  |  |  | ʀ

Later Younger Futhark
Stung Fuþark
(ca. 11th c. to 13th c.)|

| Regular | – | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚬ | ᚱ | ᚴ |  |  | ᛬ | ᚼ | ᚾ | ᛁ |  | ᛅ |  |  |  | ᛋ | ᛬ | ᛐ | ᛒ |  | ᛘ | ᛚ |  |  |  | ᛦ

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  | f | u

w | þ | o
å/ǫ | r | k |  |  |  | h | n | i
j |  | a
ä |  |  |  | s
z |  | t | b |  | m | l |  |  |  | y

Stung | – | ᚡ | ᚤ | ᚧ |  |  | ᚵ |  |  |  |  | ᛀ | ᛂ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ᛑ | ᛔ |  |  | ᛛ
|  | v | y
ö | ð |  |  | g
ŋ |  |  |  |  | ɴ | e
ä |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | d | p |  |  | ʟ

Medieval runes
Medieval Fuþark
(ca. 13th c. to 18th c.)|

| 1st types | – | ᚠ | ᚢ | ᚦ | ᚮ | ᚱ | ᚴ |  |  | ᛬ | ᚼ | ᚿ | ᛁ |  | ᛆ |  |  |  | ᛋ | ᛬ | ᛐ | ᛒ |  | ᛘ | ᛚ |  |  |  | ᛦ

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  | f | u
w | þ | o | r | k
q |  |  |  | h
x | n | i
j |  | a |  |  |  | s |  | t | b |  | m | l |  |  |  | y
2nd types | – | ᚡ | ᚤ | ᚧ | ᚰ |  | ᚵ |  |  |  |  | ᚾ | ᛂ |  | ᛅ |  |  |  | ᛍ |  | ᛑ | ᛔ |  |  | ᛛ |  |  |  | ᛨ
|  | v | y
v | ð | ǫ
å |  | g |  |  |  |  | n | e |  | ä |  |  |  | c
z |  | d | p |  |  | ʟ |  |  |  | y
3rd types | – |  |  |  | ᚯ |  | ᚶ |  |  |  |  | ᛀ |  |  |  |  |  |  | ᛎ |  |  | ᛕ
|  |  |  |  | ö |  | ng |  |  |  |  | ɴ |  |  |  |  |  |  | z
c |  |  | ᴘ
4th types | – |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ᛪ
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | x
Alphabetical
amalgamation | – | ᛆ | ᛒ | ᛍ
ᛎ | ᛑ | ᚧ | ᛂ | ᚠ | ᚵ | ᚶ | ᚼ | ᛁ | ᛁ | ᚴ | ᛚ | ᛛ | ᛘ | ᚿ
ᚾ | ᛀ | ᚮ | ᚰ | ᛔ | ᛕ | ᚴ | ᚱ | ᛋ | ᛐ | ᚦ | ᚢ | ᚡ
ᚤ | ᚢ | ᚴᛋ

ᚼ | ᚤ

ᛨ | ᛎ
ᛍ | ᚰ | ᛅ | ᚯ
|  | a | b | c | d | ð | e | f | g | ŋ | h | i | j | k | l | ʟ | m | n | ɴ | o | ǫ | p | ᴘ | q | r | s | t | þ | u | v | w | x | y | z | å | ä | ö

Dalecarlian runes
Dalecarlian alphabet
(ca. 16th c. to 19th c.)|

| Alphabetical
(incomplete) | – | ᛅ | ᛒ | ᛋ | ᚦ | ᛆ | ᚠ |  | ᚼ | ᛁ | ᚴ | ᛚ | ᛘ | ᚿ | ᛰ | 𐋐 | ᛩ | ᚱ | ᛌ | ᛐ | ᚢ | ᛋᛌ | ᛠ |  | Å | ᚯ | ᛦ

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  | a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | x | y | z | å | ä | ö

See also
Runic inscriptions interactive map
Runic inscriptions
Rune Poems
Runestones
Runic magic
Modern runic writing
Pseudo-runes
Staveless runes

* v
* t
* e

Latin script

* History
* Spread
* Romanization
* Roman numerals
* Ligatures

Alphabets (list)|

* Classical Latin alphabet
* ISO basic Latin alphabet
* Phonetic alphabets
* International Phonetic Alphabet
* X-SAMPA
* Spelling alphabet

Letters (list)|

Letters of the ISO basic Latin alphabet

Aa | Bb | Cc | Dd | Ee | Ff | Gg | Hh | Ii | Jj | Kk | Ll | Mm  | Nn | Oo | Pp | Qq | Rr | Ss | Tt | Uu | Vv | Ww | Xx | Yy | Zz

Letter W with diacritics

Ẃẃ | Ẁẁ | Ŵŵ | Ẅẅ | Ẇẇ | Ẉẉ | Ꟃꟃ | W̊ẘ | Ⱳⱳ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

Multigraphs|

| Digraphs|

* Ch
* Dz
* Dž
* Gh
* IJ
* Lj
* Ll
* Ly
* Nh
* Nj
* Ny
* Sh
* Sz
* Th

|

Trigraphs|

* dzs
* eau

Tetragraphs|

* ough

Pentagraphs|

tzsch

Keyboard layouts (list)|

* QWERTY
* QWERTZ
* AZERTY
* Dvorak
* Colemak
* BÉPO
* Neo

Historical Standards|

* ISO/IEC 646
* Western Latin character sets

Current Standards|

* Unicode
* DIN 91379: Unicode subset for Europe

Lists|

* Precomposed Latin characters in Unicode
* Letters used in mathematics
* List of typographical symbols and punctuation marks

* Diacritics
* Palaeography

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template