Fehu

The shape of the rune is likely based on Etruscan v ⟨𐌅⟩ ⟨⟩, like Greek Digamma ⟨Ϝ⟩ and Latin ⟨F⟩ ultimately from Phoenician waw ⟨⟩.^{[citation needed]}

The change of the bistaves pointing upward could stem from visually diverging it from the rune ᚨ, as well as linking it visually to the horns of cattle (see § Name).^{[citation needed]}

The root name is an ancient word for "livestock". Compare Swedish: fä ("livestock, animal"), Dutch: vee ("livestock, cattle"), German: Vieh ("livestock"), Old Norse: fé ("livestock, loose assets"), Old English: feoh ("livestock, money"), *fehu ("livestock"), Latin: pecū, pecūs ("livestock"), Sanskrit: पशु (paṧu, "livestock, cattle"). By extension, it also means '(loose) wealth' and thereof, thus surviving as fee in English with the meaning of "payment compensating for rights or services".^{[citation needed]}

The Proto-Germanic name has been reconstructed as *fehu, with the meaning of "livestock, cattle" and by extension "wealth".^[1]

The corresponding letter of the Gothic alphabet is ⟨𐍆⟩ ⟨f⟩, called faihu. Such correspondence between all rune poems and the Gothic letter name, as well, is uncommon, and gives the reconstructed name of the Old Futhark a high degree of certainty.^{[citation needed]}

The name is recorded in all three rune poems:^{[2][full citation needed]}

Old Norwegian:

Old Icelandic:

Old English:

• Félag