The a-e ligature "ash" (Æ æ) was adopted as a letter in its own right, named after a futhorc rune "æsc". In very early Old English the o-e ligature "ethel" (Œ œ) also appeared as its own letter, likewise named after a rune, "œðel". Also, the v-v or u-u ligature "double-u" (W w) was in use.