Word
wynn
Phoneticswynn
/ˈwɪn/
Definition
n. a letter from the Old English alphabet (ƿ) that people used to write the 'w' sound.
n. a character of the Old English alphabet, derived from the runic futhark, used to represent the /w/ phoneme before being superseded by the digraph 'uu'.
Examples
“The scribe used a wynn to write the word for water.”
“Scholars studying Beowulf in its original manuscript must learn to distinguish the letter wynn from the similar-looking thorn and p.”
“The transition from the runic wynn to the Latinate 'w' reflects the broader orthographic shifts occurring as Norman scribal traditions began to influence the written English language after the conquest.”
Examples
simple
“The scribe used a wynn to write the word for water.”
contextual
“Scholars studying Beowulf in its original manuscript must learn to distinguish the letter wynn from the similar-looking thorn and p.”
complex
“The transition from the runic wynn to the Latinate 'w' reflects the broader orthographic shifts occurring as Norman scribal traditions began to influence the written English language after the conquest.”
Usage
Usually referred to in the context of palaeography or historical linguistics.
Teaching tip
This is a highly specialized term; learners will only encounter it when studying the history of the English language or Old English texts.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/wynn