Þ

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Character
Customary name:	thorn
Represents:	z

Variants and attestation

Transliteration	Sinistroverse		Dextroverse
	Glyph	Number	Glyph	Number
Þ		3		2
Þ2		0		1
Þ3		12		2

Commentary

The Raetic special character ("Sonderzeichen") appears in two different shapes which do not seem to be related. In TIR, it is transliterated with the letter þ (thorn), borrowed from Runic, to distinguish it from and avoid confusion with characters for dentals going back to Greek. (The theory that Runic addThorn1 s /þ/ might be derived from the Magrè-variant is not particularly likely and did not suggest the choice.)

• In Magrè, and only there, the character variant / occurs six times in six different inscriptions. Twice (MA-8, MA-9) it is used in the anlaut of the verbal form þinaχe known from Etruscan, whereby the phonetic value can be determined as a dental affricate. In MA-5 and MA-23, the letter seems to be part of an ending -(i)þu; in MA-10, it is probably used mistakenly to write the dental of the individual name piθie (in the same inscription, þinake is written with Pi in the anlaut). The inscription MA-3 is too much damaged to determine the context of . This character variant has a graphic parallel only in Camunic alphabetaria, where a character (once ) occupies the position of San (see Script).
• In the context of the Sanzeno alphabet, the character variant occurs twelve, possibly thirteen (SZ-19) times in as many inscriptions. Its identification with the Magrè variant hinges on the one-off attestation of þinake written with in the anlaut on SZ-1.1. The equation is supported by the occurrence of the numeral þal, corresponding to Etruscan zal, on SZ-4.1. Four more attestations in certainly linguistic context are found in SZ-4.1 and SZ-30 (for the option of comparing the occurrence in the latter inscription with one of Zeta, see )auþile), on NO-15 and BZ-10.1. The attestations on SZ-33 and SZ-74 are qualified by the fact that we are probably concerned with factory marks (but see þine); SZ-32, SZ-34 and SZ-94 are obscure. Additionally, the letter occurs on one of the problematic Slovenian helmets, in an inscription clearly written in the Sanzeno alphabet. The "arrow sign" is reminiscent of Tau, but Tau does not occur in this shape in Etruscan or regularly in any of the Transpadanian alphabets. The "arrow sign" does appear in two dubious inscriptions from the Gail valley (Gt 20, Gt 22, ascribed to the Venetic corpus), and on the Camunoid Castaneda Schnabelkanne (here apparently Tau). Note also that /t/ is written in the Runic script.

Both the Magrè and the Sanzeno variants might have been newly created, but a connection to some (marginal?) Camunic tradition can hardly be disclaimed. For the question of why these characters were used/created, see Script.

/ corresponds to ¶ in Schumacher 2004.