*Laguz
Rune
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*Laguz ('water', 'lake'), or *Laukaz ('leek'), is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of the l-rune ᛚ. In the Anglo-Saxon rune poem, it is called lagu "ocean". In the Younger Futhark, the rune is called lögr "waterfall" in Icelandic and logr "water" in Norse.
| Name | Proto-Germanic | Old English | Old Norse |
|---|---|---|---|
| *Laguz/*Laukaz | Lagu | Lögr | |
| "lake"/"leek" | "ocean, sea" | "water, waterfall" | |
| Shape | Elder Futhark | Futhorc | Younger Futhark |
 | |||
| Unicode | ᛚ U+16DA | ||
| Transliteration | l | ||
| Transcription | l | ||
| IPA | [l] | ||
| Position in rune-row | 21 | 15 | |
The name of the corresponding Gothic letter (𐌻, l) is attested as laaz in the Codex Vindobonensis 795; a normalized (Ulfilan) Gothic form *lagus is thought to underlie this unconventional spelling.
The rune is identical in shape to the letter l in the Raetic alphabet.
Rune poem
| Rune Poem:[1] | English Translation: |
|
ᛚ Lögr er, fællr ór fjalle foss; |
A waterfall is a River which falls from a mountain-side; |
|
ᛚ Lögr er vellanda vatn |
Water is eddying stream |
|
ᛚ Lagu bẏþ leodum langsum geþuht, |
The ocean seems interminable to men, |
Leek hypothesis
The hypothesis that the Proto-Germanic name for the rune is *laukaz ('leek') is based not on the rune poems, but rather on early inscriptions, such as the Bülach fibula, where the rune has been hypothesised to be an abbreviation of *laukaz. The choice of word may be due to the plant being seen as a symbol of fertility and healing. Also supporting this idea are 10th century manuscripts that use the Old Norse descendent laukr as a name for the rune, alongside lín ('flax', 'linen').[2][3]
