Forfeda

[1][2][3] The most important of these are five forfeda which were arranged in their own aicme or class, and were invented in the Old Irish period, several centuries after the peak of Ogham usage.

They appear to have represented sounds felt to be missing from the original alphabet, maybe é(o), ó(i), ú(i), p and ch.

[clarification needed] The five "aicme" forfeda are glossed in the manuscripts Auraicept na n-Éces ('The Scholars' Primer), De dúilib feda ('Elements of the Letters') and In Lebor Ogaim ('The Book of Ogam'), by several Bríatharogaim ("word oghams"), or two word kennings, which explain the meanings of the names of the letters of the Ogham alphabet.

According to Kelly (1976) the name spín (deriving from the Latin) appears in the Old Irish tree lists as meaning either gooseberry or thorn, so the medieval glosses may be correct on this occasion.

The Bríatharogam kenning "groan of a sick person" refers to a value ch [x], predating the decision that all five forfeda represent vowels.

So rare are the other forfeda in inscriptions that it is worthwhile detailing the individual examples (numbering as given by Macalister): ᚛ᚐᚅᚋ ANM ᚋᚖᚂᚓᚌᚖᚋᚏᚔᚇ MÓLEGÓMRID ᚋᚐᚉᚔ MACI ᚍᚓᚉᚒᚋᚓᚅ᚜VECUMEN᚛ᚐᚅᚋ   ᚋᚖᚂᚓᚌᚖᚋᚏᚔᚇ   ᚋᚐᚉᚔ   ᚍᚓᚉᚒᚋᚓᚅ᚜ANM MÓLEGÓMRID MACI VECUMEN᚛ᚋᚐᚊᚊᚖ MAQQÓ ᚈᚐᚂᚂᚒᚑᚏᚏᚆ TALLUORRH ᚅᚓᚆᚆᚈᚍ NÉHHTV ᚏᚑᚁᚁᚐᚉ ROBBAC ᚉᚓᚅᚅᚓᚃᚃ᚜CÉNNEFF᚛ᚋᚐᚊᚊᚖ   ᚈᚐᚂᚂᚒᚑᚏᚏᚆ   ᚅᚓᚆᚆᚈᚍ   ᚏᚑᚁᚁᚐᚉ   ᚉᚓᚅᚅᚓᚃᚃ᚜MAQQÓ TALLUORRH NÉHHTV ROBBAC CÉNNEFF᚛ᚋᚑᚉᚒᚏᚏᚓᚈᚔ MOCURRETI ᚋᚐᚊᚔ MAQI ᚍᚂᚔᚄᚐᚉᚓᚄᚗᚉᚋᚔᚏ᚜VLISACESUICMIR᚛ᚋᚑᚉᚒᚏᚏᚓᚈᚔ   ᚋᚐᚊᚔ   ᚍᚂᚔᚄᚐᚉᚓᚄᚗᚉᚋᚔᚏ᚜MOCURRETI MAQI VLISACESUICMIR᚛ᚂᚑᚌᚔᚈᚈᚔ LOGITTI ᚋᚐᚊᚔ MAQI ᚓᚏᚘᚓᚅ᚜ERPENN᚛ᚂᚑᚌᚔᚈᚈᚔ   ᚋᚐᚊᚔ   ᚓᚏᚘᚓᚅ᚜LOGITTI MAQI ERPENN᚛ᚈᚒᚏᚘᚔᚂᚔ TURPILI ᚋᚑᚄᚐᚉ MOSAC ᚈᚏᚐᚂᚂᚑᚅᚔ᚜TRALLONI᚛ᚈᚒᚏᚘᚔᚂᚔ   ᚋᚑᚄᚐᚉ   ᚈᚏᚐᚂᚂᚑᚅᚔ᚜TURPILI MOSAC TRALLONI᚛ᚘᚐᚋᚘᚓᚄ᚜PAMPES᚛ᚘᚐᚋᚘᚓᚄ᚜PAMPESBeyond the five forfeda discussed above, which doubtlessly date to Old Irish times, there is a large number of letter variants and symbols, partly found in manuscripts, and partly in "scholastic" (post 6th century) inscriptions collectively termed forfeda.

The fourth is a four-stroke cross-hatching, also appearing in the late eighth or ninth-century Bern ogham alphabet and syllabary under a label which has previously been read as RR, but another suggestions is SS.