ᚢᚦᛡᚱᛡᛒᛡ

Proto-Norse

Etymology

From ᚢᚾ- (un-, “un-”) +‎ *ᚦᚨᚱᛒᚢ (*þarbu, “need, want”), first from Proto-Germanic *un-, second from Proto-Germanic *þarbō. ᚢ- (u-) is a younger form of ᚢᚾ- (un-), and ᛡ (A) is the transitional a-rune, displacing earlier ᚨ (a), which instead takes a nasal quality, which it retains in the Younger Futhark. The second A reflects a svarabhakti (epenthetic) vowel; compare ᛒᛡᚱᛁᚢᛏᛁᚦ (bᴀriutiþ /⁠bᵃriutiþ⁠/), ᚺᚨᚱᚨᛒᚨᚾᚨᛉ (harabanaʀ /⁠hᵃrabᵃnaʀ⁠/).

This word is only attested once, in a late inscription and in the genitive plural.

Noun

ᚢᚦᛡᚱᛡᛒᛡ (uþᴀrᴀbᴀ /ūþarᵃβa/) f (genitive plural) (Transitional Period)

1. misfortune, something harmful
   • 7th century, inscription on the Björketorp stone:

     ᚢᚦᛡᚱᛡᛒᛡᛋᛒᛡ
     uþArAbAsbA

     ūþarᵃβa spā

     [a] prophecy of misfortune

Descendants

• Old Norse: óþǫrf, úþǫrf (genitive plural óþarfa)
  • Icelandic: óþörf
  • Old Swedish: otharf