Aesc

/æsk/ noun

Definition

An Old English letter (ᚨ) representing the ash tree and its sound, related to the rune and the modern letter 'A'.

Etymology

From Old English, literally meaning 'ash tree,' named after the ash because runic alphabets named letters after objects. The aesc rune predates the Roman alphabet in Northern Europe.

Kelly Says

The aesc rune embodied ancient Germanic wisdom—ash wood was sacred in Norse mythology as the world tree Yggdrasil, and giving a letter the name of such a powerful tree meant writing itself was seen as accessing spiritual knowledge.

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