U+16DF "ᛟ" Runic Letter Othalan Ethel O Unicode Character

Unicode Version 17.0

U+16DF "ᛟ" Runic Letter Othalan Ethel O is a runic symbol from the Elder Futhark, the oldest form of the runic alphabets used by Germanic peoples from approximately the 2nd to the 8th centuries. This character represents both the sound "o" and the word or concept of "inheritance," "estate," or "ancestral property," with its name derived from the Old English term "ōþel" or "ēþel." Historically, it appears in inscriptions and manuscripts such as the Codex Vindobonensis 795, where it is often associated with concepts of homeland, nobility, and legacy, and later influenced the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc version of the rune. In modern contexts, the character is used in runic studies, historical reenactment, and occasionally in symbolic or neopagan contexts to evoke themes of heritage and continuity.

General Properties

Code Point U+16DF
Version Added 3.0
Name Runic Letter Othalan Ethel O
Block Runic
General Category Other Letter
Canonical Combining Class Not Reordered
Bidirectional Class Left To Right

Encodings

HTML Decimal Encoding ᛟ
HTML Hex Encoding ᛟ
UTF-8 Encoding 0xE1 0x9B 0x9F
UTF-16 Encoding 0x16DF
UTF-32 Encoding 0x000016DF
C/C++/Java Escape \u16df

Unicode Properties

NFC Quick Check Yes
NFD Quick Check Yes
NFKC Quick Check Yes
NFKD Quick Check Yes
Numeric Type None
Numeric Value NaN
Line Break Alphabetic
Script Runic
Script Extensions Runic
Indic Syllabic Category Other
ID Start Yes
XID Start Yes
ID Continue Yes
XID Continue Yes
Alphabetic Yes
Vertical Orientation Rotated
Grapheme Base Yes
Grapheme Cluster Break Other
Word Break Alphabetic letter
Sentence Break OLetter