ᚢᚦᛡᚱᛡᛒᛡ

From ᚢᚾ- (un-, “un-”) +‎ *ᚦᚨᚱᛒᚢ (*þarbu, “something useful, wanted”), first from Proto-Germanic *un-, second from Proto-Germanic *þarbō. ᚢ- (u-) is a younger form of ᚢᚾ- (un-), and ᛡ (ᴀ) is the transitional a-rune, displacing earlier ᚨ (a) which instead comes to stand for a specifically nasal /ã/, a quality which it retains into the Younger Futhark. The second ᛡ (ᴀ) represents a svarabhakti (epenthetic) vowel; compare ᛒᛡᚱᛁᚢᛏᛁᚦ (bᴀriutiþ /⁠bᵃriutiþ⁠/), ᚺᚨᚱᚨᛒᚨᚾᚨᛉ (harabanaʀ /⁠hᵃrabᵃnaʀ⁠/).

This word is only attested once, in a late inscription and in the genitive plural.

ᚢᚦᛡᚱᛡᛒᛡ (uþᴀrᴀbᴀ /ų̄þarᵃβa/) f (genitive plural) (Transitional Period)

1. misfortune, something harmful
   • 7th century, inscription on the Björketorp stone:

     ᚢᚦᛡᚱᛡᛒᛡᛋᛒᛡ
     uþᴀrᴀbᴀsbᴀ

     ūþarᵃβa spǭ

     [a] prophecy of harmful things

• Old Norse: óþǫrf, úþǫrf (genitive plural óþarfa)
  • Icelandic: óþörf
  • Old Swedish: otharf