ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᚨᚲᚢᛞᛟ

Proto-Norse

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Etymology

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*ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᚨ (*ragina, the ruling powers, the gods) +‎ *-ᚲᚢᛞᚨᛉ (*-kudaʀ, born, originating). First element from Proto-Germanic *raginą (decision, advice, counsel), ancestor of Old Norse regin (the gods, the ruling powers). Second element from Proto-Germanic *kundaz (born (of)), compare Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌳𐍃 (himinakunds, born of heaven, heavenly).

Adjective

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ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᚨᚲᚢᛞᛟ (raginakudo /raginakundō/) (feminine accusative singular)

  1. born of the gods; of divine origin
    • 450-600, Noleby Runestone (KJ 67, Vg 63)
      ᚱᚢᚾᛟᚠᚨᚺᛁᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᚨᚴᚢᛞᛟ []
      runofahiraginakudo []
      rūnō fāhī raginakundō
      I paint a rune of divine origin

Usage notes

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  • The dropping of a nasal before a dental in runic spelling (kudo instead of kundo) persists into the Younger Futhark period. Compare also ᚹᛁᛞᚢᚺᚢᛞᚨᛉ (widuhudaʀ /⁠Widuhundaʀ⁠/), ᚲᚢᚾᛁᛗᚢᛞᛁᚢ (kunimudiu /⁠Kunimundiu⁠/).
  • Other reflexes of the phrase *rūnu raginakundu, "rune of divine origin", appear on the younger Swedish Sparlösa Runestone, and in the Old Norse poem Hávamál. This reveals an ancient poetic formula, of pre-Christian origin.

Declension

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The adjective agrees in gender, case and number with the noun it modifies, ᚱᚢᚾᛟ (runo /⁠rūnō⁠/, rune, mystery, esoteric secret), and is thus in the feminine accusative singular (Proto-Norse corresponds to Old Norse -a). From other attested adjectives, we can presume that the masculine and feminine nominative singular forms would have been *raginakundaʀ and *raginakundu, respectively.

Descendants

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  • Old Norse: reginkunnr

Further reading

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