1. An alphabet of runes used by Anglo-Saxon peoples, consisting of 33 characters and representing an early form of written Germanic language.
Usage: historical; also spelled 'futhark' or 'futharc'; named after its first six letters: f, u, th, o, r, c

Examples

• Scholars study the futhorc to understand how Anglo-Saxons wrote before the adoption of the Latin alphabet.
• The futhorc contained more characters than the Scandinavian futhark used by Norse peoples.
• Inscriptions in the futhorc have been found on coins, stones, and manuscripts from medieval England.
• The futhorc gradually fell out of use as Christianity and Latin writing spread through Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
• Each letter in the futhorc had a name and symbolic meaning in early Germanic culture.