Gyfu
| Name | Proto-Germanic | Old English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| *Gebō | Gyfu | Gār | |
| 'gift' | 'gift' | "spear" | |
| Shape | Elder Futhark | Futhorc | |
| Unicode | ᚷ U+16B7 | ᚷ U+16B7 | ᚸ U+16B8 |
| Transliteration | g | ȝ | g |
| Transcription | g | ȝ, g | g |
| IPA | [ɣ] | [g], [ɣ], [ʎ], [j] | [g] |
| Position in rune-row | 7 | 7 | 33 |
Gyfu is the name for the g-rune ᚷ in the Anglo-Saxon rune poem, meaning 'gift' or 'generosity':
| Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem: | English Translation: |
|
ᚷ Gẏfu gumena bẏþ gleng and herenẏs,
|
Generosity brings credit and honour, which support one's dignity;
|
The corresponding letter of the Gothic alphabet is 𐌲 g, called giba. The same rune also appears in the Elder Futhark, with a suggested Proto-Germanic name *gebô 'gift'. J. H. Looijenga speculates that the rune is directly derived from Latin Χ, the pronunciation of which may have been similar to Germanic g in the 1st century, e.g., Gothic *reihs compared to Latin rex (as opposed to the Etruscan alphabet, where /𐌗 had a value of [s]).
The gyfu rune is sometimes used as a symbol within modern mysticism, particularly amongst those interested in Celtic mythology. It's described, for example, in the book The Runic Tarot as a representation of the giving-receiving balance in friendships.