ᚱᚨᚾᛃᚨ

Gothic

Etymology

From *𐍂𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽 (*rannjan, “to cause to run; to rout”) +‎ -𐌾𐌰 (-ja). This is one of the only attested Gothic words from any inscription (there are only a handful of Gothic runic inscriptions in existence) of which the exact translation is largely undisputed.

Noun

ᚱᚨᚾᛃᚨ • (ranja) m

1. (hapax) something which causes others to run, runner, router. Also interpreted as charger.
   • Inscription on the Dahmsdorf-Müncheberg spearhead:
     ᚱᚨᚾᛃᚨ

     ranja

     router/runner (name of the spear)

Declension

Only this form, the nominative singular, is attested.

References

• Nedoma, Robert, 'Schrift und Sprache in den ostgermanischen Runeninschriften', in NOWELE: North-Western European Language Evolution 58-59 (2010) pp. 1-70, wherein 19-20.