Northern Europe
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Runes were employed for purposes of secrecy or for divination; and the word is also applied to ancient lore or poetry expressed in runes. Rune is related to A.S. ran, secret.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Northern Europe” mean?
Runes were employed for purposes of secrecy or for divination; and the word is also applied to ancient lore or poetry expressed in runes. Rune is related to A.S. ran, secret.
Is “Northern Europe” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.