CHAPTER III

THE PRIMITIVE GERMANIC VOWEL-SYSTEM

§ 57. From what has been said in §§ 36–52, we arrive at the following vowel-system for the prim. Germanic language:—

§ 58. This system underwent several modifications during the prim. Germanic period, i.e. before the parent language became differentiated into the various separate Germanic languages. The most important of these changes were:—

§ 59. a + ŋx became āx, as Goth. OS. OHG. fāhan, O.Icel. fā, OE. fōn, from *faŋχanan, to catch, seize, cp. Lat. pangō, I fasten; Goth. þāhta (inf. þagkjan), OS. thāhta, OHG. dāhta, OE. þōhte from older *þaŋχta, *þaŋχtō-, I thought, cp. O.Lat. tongeō, I know. Every prim. Germanic ā in accented syllables was of this origin. Cp. § 42.

§ 60. e became i under the following circumstances:—

1. Before a nasal + consonant, as Goth. OS. OE. bindan, O.Icel. binda, OHG. bintan, to bind, cp. Lat. of-fendimentum, chin-cloth, of-fendix, knot, band, Gr. πενθερός, father-in-law; Lat. ventus, Goth. winds, O.Icel. vindr, OS. OE. wind, 23OHG. wint, wind; Gr. πέντε, Goth. fimf, O.Icel. fim(m), OHG. fimf, finf, five. This i became ī under the same conditions as those by which a became ā (§ 59), as Goth. þeihan, OS. thīhan, OE. ðēon, OHG. dīhan, from *þiŋχanan, older *peŋχanan, to thrive. The result of this sound-law was the reason why the verb passed from the third into the first class of strong verbs (§ 300), cp. the isolated pp. OS. gi-þungan, OE. ge-ðungen.

2. When followed by an i, ī, or j in the next syllable, as Goth. OS. OHG. ist, OE. is, from *isti, older *esti = Gr. ἔστι, is; OHG. irdīn, earthen, beside erda, earth; Goth. midjis, O.Icel. miðr, OS. middi, OE. midd, OHG. mitti, Lat. medius, from an original form *medhjos, middle; OS. birid, OHG. birit, he bears, from an original form *bhéreti, through the intermediate stages *Ҍéređi, *Ҍériđi, *Ҍíriđi, beside inf. beran; O.Icel. sitja, OS. sittian, OHG. sizzen, OE. sittan, from an original form *sedjonom, to sit.

3. In unaccented syllables, except in the combination -er when not followed by an i in the next syllable, as OE. fēt, older fœ̄t, from *fōtiz, older *fōtes, feet, cp. Lat. pedes, Gr. πόδες. Indg. e remained in unaccented syllables in the combination -er when not followed by an i in the next syllable, as acc. OS. fader, OHG. fater, OE. fæder, Gr. πατέρα, father; OE. hwæþer, Gr. πότερος, which of two.

§ 61. i, followed originally by an ā̌, ō̌, or ē in the next syllable, became e when not protected by a nasal + consonant or an intervening i or j, as O.Icel. verr, OS. OHG. OE. wer, Lat. vir, from an original form *wiros, man; OHG. OE. nest, Lat. nīdus, from an original form *nizdos. In historic times, however, this law has a great number of exceptions owing to the separate languages having levelled out in various directions, as OE. spec beside spic, bacon; OHG. lebara beside OE. lifer, liver; OHG. leccōn beside OE. liccian, to lick; OHG. lebēn 24beside OE. libban, to live; OHG. quec beside OE. cwic, quick, alive.

§ 62. u, followed originally by an ā̌, ō̌, or ē in the next syllable, became o when not protected by a nasal + consonant or an intervening i or j, as OE. dohtor, OS. dohter, OHG. tohter, Gr. θυγάτηρ, daughter; O.Icel. ok, OHG. joh, Gr. ζυγόν, yoke; OE. OS. god, OHG. got, from an original form *ghutóm, god, beside OHG. gutin, goddess; pp. OE. geholpen, OS. giholpan, OHG. giholfan, helped, beside pp. OE. gebunden, OS. gibundan, OHG. gibuntan, bound; pp. OE. geboden, OS. gibodan, OHG. gibotan, offered, beside pret. pl. OE. budon, OS. budun, OHG. butum, we offered. Every prim. Germanic o in accented syllables was of this origin. Cp. § 39.

u became ū under the same conditions as those by which a and i became ā and ī, as pret. third pers. singular Goth. þūhta, OS. thūhta, OHG. dūhta, OE. þūhte, beside inf. Goth. þugkjan, OS. thunkian, OHG. dunken, OE. þyncan, to seem; and similarly in Goth. ūhtwō, OS. OHG. ūhta, OE. ūhte, daybreak, dawn.

§ 63. The diphthong eu became iu when the next syllable originally contained an i, ī, or j, cp. § 60 (2), but remained eu when the next syllable originally contained an ā̌, ō̌, or ē. The iu remained in OS. and OHG., but became jū (ȳ by i-umlaut) in O.Icel., and īo (īe by i-umlaut) in OE., as Goth. liuhtjan, OS. liuhtian, OHG. liuhten, OE. liehtan, to give light, beside OS. OHG. lioht, OE. lēoht, a light; O.Icel. dȳpt, OS. diupi, OHG. tiufī, OE. dīepe, depth, beside O.Icel. djūpr, OS. diop, OHG. tiof, OE. dēop, deep; OS. kiusid, OHG. kiusit, O.Icel. kȳs(s), OE. cīesþ, he chooses, beside inf. OS. OHG. kiosan, O.Icel. kjōsa, OE. cēosan, to choose.

§ 64. From what has been said in §§ 59–63, it will be seen that the prim. Germanic vowel-system had assumed the following shape before the Germanic parent language 25became differentiated into the various separate languages:—

The following table contains the normal development of the above vowel-system in Goth. O.Icel. OS. OHG. and OE. stem-syllables:—