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Runic alphabet letter

Isaz

NameProto-GermanicOld EnglishOld Norse
*IsazÍsÍss
"ice"
ShapeElder FutharkFuthorcYounger Futhark
Unicodeᛁ
U+16C1
Transliterationi
Transcriptioni
IPA
Position in
rune-row
119

*Isaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the i-rune ᛁ, meaning "ice". In the Younger Futhark, it is called íss in Old Norse. As a rune of the Anglo-Saxon futhorc, it is called is.

The corresponding Gothic letter is 𐌹 i, named eis.

The rune is recorded in all three rune poems:

Rune Poem: English Translation:

Old English
ᛁ Is bẏþ oferceald, ungemetum slidor,
glisnaþ glæshluttur gimmum gelicust,
flor forste geƿoruht, fæger ansẏne.


Ice is very cold and immeasurably slippery;
it glistens as clear as glass and most like to gems;
it is a floor wrought by the frost, fair to look upon.

Old Icelandic
ᛁ Íss er árbörkr
ok unnar þak
ok feigra manna fár.


Ice is bark of rivers
and roof of the wave
and destruction of the doomed.

Old Norwegian
ᛁ Ís kǫllum brú bræiða;
blindan þarf at læiða.


Ice is called the broad bridge;
the blind man must be led.

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Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source article