ABBREVIATIONS, ETC.Goth.= GothicGr.= GreekHG.= High GermanLat.= LatinMHG.= Middle High GermanNHG.= New High GermanOE.= Old EnglishOHG.= Old High GermanOS.= Old SaxonP. Germ.= Primitive GermanicUF.= Upper FranconianUG.= Upper GermanThe asterisk * prefixed to a word denotes a theoretical form, as MHG.wärmenfrom*warmjan, to warm.In representing prehistoric forms the following signs are used:—þ(=thin Engl.thin),ð(=thin Engl.then),ƀ(= a bilabial spirant, which may be pronounced like thevin Engl.vine),ʒ(=goften heard in Germansagen),χ(= NHG.chand thechin Scotchloch),ŋ(=nin Engl.sunk).GRAMMARINTRODUCTION§ 1.MIDDLE HIGH GERMANMiddle High German(MHG.) embraces the High German language from about the year 1100 to 1500. It is divided into three great dialect-groups: Upper German, Franconian, and East Middle German.1. Upper German is divided into: (a) Alemanic, embracing High Alemanic (Switzerland), and Low Alemanic (South Baden, Swabia, and Alsace). (b) Bavarian, extending over Bavaria and those parts of Austria where German is spoken.2. Franconian (West Middle German), which is subdivided into Upper Franconian and Middle Franconian. Upper Franconian consists of East Franconian (the old duchy of Francia Orientalis) and Rhenish Franconian (the old province of Francia Rhinensis), Middle Franconian extending over the district along the banks of the Moselle and of the Rhine from Coblence to Düsseldorf.3. East Middle German, extending over: Thuringia, Upper Saxony, and Silesia.Since it is impossible to deal with all these dialects in an elementary book like the present, we shall confine ourselves almost exclusively to Upper German, and shall only deal with that period of Middle High German which extends from about 1200 to 1300.PHONOLOGYCHAPTER ITHE VOWELS§ 2.MHG. had the following simple vowels and diphthongs:—Short vowelsa,ä,ë,e,i,o,u,ö,ü.Long vowelsā,æ,ē,ī,ō,ū,œ,iu.Diphthongsei,ie,ou,uo,öu (eu), üe.Note.—ërepresents primitive Germanice(= Gr.ε, Lat.e, as in Gr.δέκα, Lat.decem, MHG.zëhen,ten) and is generally writtenëin Old and Middle High German grammars, in order to distinguish it from the OHG. umlaut-e(§10). The former was an open sound like theein Englishbed, whereas the latter was a close sound like theéin Frenchété.äwas a very open sound nearly like theain Englishhat, and arose in MHG. from thei-umlaut ofa(§10). Good MHG. poets do not rhyme Germanicëwith the umlaut-e, and the distinction between the two sounds is still preserved in many NHG. dialects. In like manner the modern Bavarian and Austrian dialects still distinguish betweenäandë. In the MHG. periodä,ë, andewere kept apart in Bavarian, but in Alemanic and Middle Germanäandëseem to have fallen together inëor possiblyä, as the two sounds frequently rhyme with each other in good poets. MHG. texts do not always preserve in writing the distinction between the old umlaut-eand the MHG. umlaut-ä, both being often writtenein the same text.Pronunciation of the Vowels.§ 3.The approximate pronunciation of the above vowels and diphthongs was as follows:—aas inNHG. mannman,man.ā„„Engl. fatherhāt,has.ä„„„manmähte,powers.æ„„„airlære,empty.ë„„„menhëlfen,to help.e„„Fr.étégeste,guests.ē„„NHG. rehsē,sea.i„„Engl. bitbiten,to beg.ī„„„weenwīn,wine.o„„„potgolt,gold.ō„„NHG. tottōt,dead.u„„Engl. putguldīn,golden.ū„„„foolhūs,house.ö„„NHG. löcherlöcher,holes.œ„„„schönschœne,beautiful.ü„„„füllenvüllen,to fill.iu„„„müdehiuser,houses.ei=e+istein,stone.ie=i+eknie,knee.ou=o+uouge,eye.öu(eu)=öore+üdröuwen,to threaten.üe=ü+egrüeȥen,to greet.uo=u+obruoder,brother.To the above list should be added the MHG.ein unaccented syllables, which mostly arose from the weakening of the OHG. full vowels, as OHG.zunga,tongue,hirti,shepherd,namo,name,fridu,peace= MHG.zunge,hirte,name,fride; OHG.habēn,to have,scōnī,beauty,salbōn,to anoint,zungūn,tongues= MHG.haben,schœne,salben,zungen. Theein this position was pronounced like the-ein NHG.zunge,name,friede, &c.Phonetic Survey of the MHG. Vowel-system.§ 4.PalatalShortä,ë,e,i,ö,ü.Longæ,ē,ī,œ,iu(=ü).GutturalShorta,o,u.Longā,ō,ū.The OHG. Equivalents of the MHG. Vowels.§ 5.The following are the OHG. equivalents of the MHG. short vowels, long vowels and diphthongs of accented syllables:—1. The short vowelsa,ë,e,i,o,u= the corresponding OHG. short vowels, astac,day,gast,guest,bant,he bound,gap,he gave= OHG.tag,gast,bant,gab.wëc,way,nëmen,to take,zëhen,ten= OHG.wëg,nëman,zëhan.geste,guests,lember,lambs,vert,he goes= OHG.gesti,lembir,ferit.wiȥȥen,to know,hilfe,I help,visch,fish= OHG.wiȥȥan,hilfu,fisk.got,God,wol,well,geholfen,helped= OHG.got,wola,giholfan.sun,son,wurm,worm,gebunden,bound= OHG.sunu,wurm,gibuntan.äis the umlaut ofabefore certain consonant combinations which prevented umlaut from taking place in OHG., asmähte,powers,hältet,he holds,wärmen,to warm= OHG.mahti,haltit,warmen from *warmjan(§10). It also occurs in derivatives ending in-līchand-līn, asmänlīch,manly,tägelīch,daily,väterlīn, dim. ofvater,father; and in words which originally had aniin the third syllable, the vowel of the second syllable having becomeiby assimilation, asmägede,maids,zäher(e),tears= OHG.magadi,zahari.öis the umlaut of OHG.o, aslöcher,holes,möhte,I might= OHG.lohhir,mohti;götinne,goddess, besidegot,God.üis the umlaut of OHG.u, asdünne,thin,süne,sons,züge,I might draw= OHG.dunni,suni,zugi.2. The long vowelsā,ē,ī,ō,ū= the corresponding OHG. long vowels, assāt,seed,slāfen,to sleep,nāmen,we took,dāhte,he thought= OHG.sāt,slāfan,nāmum,dāhta.sēle,soul,mēre,more,lēren,to teach= OHG.sēla,mēro,lēren.wīp,wife,sīn,his,bīȥen,to bite= OHG.wīb,sīn,bīȥan.ōre,ear,tōt,death,kōs,I chose= OHG.ōra,tōd,kōs.hūs,house,tūsent,thousand,dūhte,it seemed= OHG.hūs,dūsunt,dūhta.æis the umlaut of OHG.ā, aslære,empty,næme,thou tookest= OHG.lāri,nāmi.œis the umlaut of OHG.ō, asschœne,beautiful,hœher,higher,hœren,to hear= OHG.scōni,hōhiro,hōrenfrom*hōrjanolder*hausjan.iu= (1) OHG.iu(diphthong), asliute,people,kiuset,he chooses= OHG.liuti,kiusit.iu= (2) the umlaut of OHG.ū, ashiuser,houses,briute,brides= OHG.hūsir,brūti.3. The diphthongsei,ou,uo= the corresponding OHG. diphthongs, asbein,bone,leiten,to lead,schreip,I wrote= OHG.bein,leiten,screib.ouge,eye,houbet,head,bouc,I bent= OHG.ouga,houbit,boug.bruoder,brother,stuont,I stood,vuor,I went= OHG.bruoder,stuont,fuor.ie= (1) OHG.ie(diphthong) olderia,ea,ē(Germanicē), ashier,here,miete,pay, reward,gienc,I went= OHG.hier,mieta,gieng.ie= (2) OHG.io(Germaniceu), asbieten,to offer,liep,dear= OHG.biotan,liob.ie= (3) the OHG.iowhich occurs in the preterite of the old reduplicated verbs whose presents haveou,ō,uo(§87), as inf.loufen,to run,stōȥen,to push,ruofen,to call, preteritelief,stieȥ,rief= OHG.liof,stioȥ,riof.ie= (4) Upper Germaniu(OHG.io) before labials and gutturals, asliup,dear,tiuf,deep,siuch,sick,liugen,to tell a lie=liep,tief,siech,liegen.öu(eu) is the umlaut of OHG.ou, aslöuber,leaves,löufel,runner= OHG.loubir,loufil.üeis the umlaut of OHG.uo, asgrüene,green,güete,goodness,vüere,thou didst go= OHG.gruoni,guotī,fuori.Unaccented Vowels and Umlaut.§ 6.The two most characteristic differences between OHG. and MHG. are: (1) the spread of umlaut (§10); (2) the weakening and partial loss of vowels in unaccented syllables.1. The Weakening of Unaccented Vowels.§ 7.The short vowelsa,i,o,u, and the long vowelsē,ī,ō,ūwere weakened toe. Thisewas pronounced like the final-ein NHG.leute, see§3. Examples are:—gëba,gift,hërza,heart,zunga,tongue,taga,days= MHG.gëbe,hërze,zunge,tage;heilag,holy, neut.blindaȥ,blind,nëman,to take= MHG.heilec,blindeȥ,nëmen.kunni,race, generation,gesti,guests= MHG.künne,geste;kuning,king,beȥȥisto,best, dat. pl.gestim,toguests, gen. pl.lembiro,of lambs,nimit,he takes= MHG.künec,beȥȥest(beste),gesten,lember(e),nimet.haso,hare, nom. acc. pl. fem.blinto,blind, gen. pl.tago,of days= MHG.hase,blinde,tage; acc. sing.hason,hare= MHG.hasen.fridu,peace, dat. sing.gëbu,to a gift,nimu,I take= MHG.fride,gëbe,nime; dat. pl.tagum,to days,nāmum,we took= MHG.tagen,nāmen.Nom. sing. masc.blintēr,blind,unsēr,our,habēn,to have,nëmēm,we may take= MHG.blinder,unser,haben,nëmen.scōnī,beauty= MHG.schœne;sālīg,blessed,nāmīm,we might take= MHG.sælec,næmen.salbōn,to anoint,suohtōs(t),thou soughtest, dat. pl.gëbōm,hërzōm= MHG.salben,suohtes(t),gëben,hërzen.Gen. dat. acc. sing., nom. acc. pl.zungūn= MHG.zungen.§ 8.The vowel in suffixal and derivative syllables was generally weakened toejust as in the inflexional syllables, but in some suffixal and derivative syllables which had a secondary accent the vowel was not weakened toe. This was especially the case with derivatives in-ære(denoting nomina agentis),-inne,-inc(-ing),linc(-ling), diminutives in-īnand-līn, abstract nouns in-nisse(-nusse,-nüsse),-unge. In others the vowel fluctuated between the full vowel ande, as in-ischbeside-esch;-ic(= OHG.-ag, and-ī̆g) beside-ec; superlative of adjectives-ist(= OHG.-ist) beside-est(= OHG.-ōst);-salbeside-sel. Beside the full forms-līch,-rīchoccurred the shortened forms-lich,-rich.The OHG. endings of the present participle-anti,-enti,-ōnti,ēntiregularly became-ende, but-antoccurs in a few old participles which had become nouns, asheilant,Saviour,wīgant,warrior,vīantbesidevīent(vīnt),fiend,enemy. Examples are:gartenære,gardener,schepfære,creator,schrībære,scribe.küneginne,queen,vriundinne,female friend,wirtinne,mistress.edelinc,son of a nobleman,hendelinc,glove,vingerlinc,ring;müedinc,unhappy man.magedīn,little girl,vingerīn,ring;kindelīn,little child,vogelīn,little bird.hindernisse,hindrance,verdërbnisse,destruction,vinsternisse,darkness,vancnüsse,captivity.beȥȥerunge,improvement,handelunge,action,mëldunge,announcement.himelisch,heavenly,irdisch,earthly,kindisch,childish, beside-esch.heilic(OHG.heilag),holy,honic(OHG.honag,honig),honey,künic(OHG.cuning,cunig),king,manic(OHG.manag),many a,sælic(OHG.sālīg),blessed, beside-ec.oberistbesideoberest,highest.kumbersal,distress,trüebsal,gloom,wëhsalbesidewëhsel,change.bitterlīch,bitterly,sicherlīch,surely,wīslīch,wisely, beside-lich.Dietrīch,Heinrīch, beside-rich.The OHG. pronominal ending of the nom. sing. fem. and the nom. acc. pl. neuter remained unweakened, as OHG.blintiu= MHG.blindiu(§55).2. The Loss of Unaccented Vowels.§ 9.The weakenederegularly disappeared:—1.Afterlandrin dissyllables with short stems, asar, olderare(OHG.aro),eagle, acc. gen. dat.arn, besidename,name,namen;wol, olderwole(OHG.wola),well;gar(OHG.garo),ready,milch(OHG.milih),milk,zal(OHG.zala),number;kil,quill, gen.kil(e)s, dat.kil,pl. nom. acc.kil, dat.kil(e)n, besidetac,day, gen.tages, dat.tage, pl. nom. acc.tage, dat.tagen;bërn,to bear,stëln,to steal,nern,to rescue, pres. sing.stil,stils(t),stilt; ner, ners(t), nert, besidehœren,to hear, pres. sing.hœre,hœres(t),hœret.2.After liquids and nasals in trisyllabic and polysyllabic forms with long stems, assælde(OHG.sālida),blessedness,hērsen,hërsen(OHG.hērisōn),to rule,zierde(OHG.ziarida),adornment,wandelte(OHG.wantalōta),I wandered,zwīfeln(OHG.zwīfalōn),to doubt,wundern(OHG.wuntarōn),to wonder,schœnste(OHG.scōnisto),most beautiful,diente,diende(OHG.dionōta),I served;dienest,service, gen.dienstes;engel,angel, gen.engel(e)s, dat.engel(e), pl. nom. acc. gen.engel(e), dat.engel(e)n, and similarly with words likeacker,acre,lūter,clear,buosem,bosom,heiden,heathen;grœȥer(OHG.grōȥiro),greater, fem. dat. sing.grœȥer(OHG.grōȥiru); dat. sing.blindem(e),blind,guotem(e),good= OHG.blintemu,guotemu; gen. pl.blinder(e)= OHG.blintero. After the analogy of forms with long stems it was also dropped in forms with short stems, as pl.nagel,nails,vogel,birds, besidenagele,vogele;widerbesidewidere(OHG.widaro),wether, dat. sing.disem(e),this,vadem(e),thread, gen.vadem(e)s.There was however a strong tendency in MHG. for the medial vowel to disappear in trisyllabic forms with long stems irrespectively as to whether they contained a liquid or a nasal, asmarket,market, gen.marktes;rīchsen(OHG.rīchisōn),to rule,ahte(OHG.ahtōta),he observed,wartte,warte(OHG.wartēta),he waited,vrāgtebesidevrāgete(OHG.frāgēta),he asked,danctebesidedankete(OHG.dankōta),he thanked. See§92.3.In the medial syllable of trisyllabic forms with long stems having liquids or nasals in successive syllables, asdīmebesidedīneme(OHG.dīnemu), dat. ofdīn,thy;eimebesideein(e)me(OHG.einemu), dat. ofein,one;hērre,hërre(OHG.hēriro),master;minrebesideminner(e)(OHG.minniro),less;tiurre(OHG.tiuriro),dearer.4.Finally after a nasal, and medially after a nasal before a followingt, in forms with short stems, ashan(e),cock,nam(e),name,sun(OHG.sun,sunu),son,won(e),I dwell;man(e)t,he admonishes,won(e)t,he dwells,scham(e)t,he shames,nim(e)t,he takes,nëm(e)t,ye take; pret.won(e)te,scham(e)te. In these and similar forms theewas often restored through the influence of forms which regularly preserved thee.Note.— Thee, when not preceded by a nasal, was sometimes dropped in verbal forms ending int. This was especially the case inwirst,wirtolderwirdes(t),wirdet;siht,he sees,sëht,ye see, oldersihet,sëhet; and often in forms likegilt,vint,spricht,stichtbesidegiltet,vindet,sprichet,stichet.5.The superlative of adjectives often has double forms, the one with the loss of the mediale, and the other with the loss of the finale, asbeste,best,ērste,first,grœste,greatest,leste,last,min(ne)ste,least,wir(se)ste,worst, besidebeȥȥest(e),ērest(e),grœȥest(e),leȥȥest(e),minnest(e),wirsest(e), OHG.beȥȥisto,ēristo,grōȥisto,leȥȥisto,minnisto,wirsisto.6.In the unstressed forms of dissyllables, as adv.ane,abe,mite,obebeside the prepositionsan,on,ab,of,mit,with,ob,over; dat. sing.dëme,wëme,ime, besidedëm,wëm,im;unde,and,wande,for,because, besideund(unt),wan(d);hërre,vrouwe, besidehër,vroubefore proper names and titles.7.Theein the unaccented verbal prefixesbe-,ge-often disappeared beforel,n,r, asblīben,to remain,glīch,like,glit,member,glouben,to believe,gnāde,favour,gnanne,namesake,gnuoge,many,grade,quick,grëch,straight,besidebelīben,gelīch,gelit,gelouben,genāde,genanne,genuoge,gerade,gerëch; it disappeared before vowels during the OHG. period, asbange,anxious:ange,anxiously,gëȥȥanp.p. ofëȥȥan,to eat,gunnan, MHG.gunnen,günnen,to grant.3. Umlaut.§ 10.By umlaut is meant the modification (palatalization) of an accented vowel through the influence of anī̆orjwhich originally stood in the following syllable. The only vowel which underwent this change in OHG. wasa, which became closee(§2, note).The change is first met with in OHG. monuments about the middle of the eighth century. In the ninth century the process was practically complete except when theawas followed by certain consonant combinations which prevented umlaut from taking place. These consonant combinations were:—1.ht,hs, or consonant +w, asmaht,power, pl.mahti; wahsit,he grows, inf.wahsan;bi-scatwenfrom*-scatwjan,to shade.2.In Upper German beforel+ consonant, beforehh,ch(= Germanick), and often beforer+ consonant, and beforeh(= Germanich), as Upper Germanhaltitbeside Upper Franconianheltit,he holds, inf.haltan; UG.altirobeside UF.eltiro,older; UG.sachitbeside UF.sehhit,he quarrels, inf.sachan, Goth.sakan; UG.warmenbesidewermen, Goth.warmjan,to warm; UG.slahitbesideslehit,he strikes, inf. OHG.slahan, Goth.slahan.3.In words ending in-nissi, -nissa, or-līh, asfirstantnissi,understanding;infancnissa,assumption;kraftlīh,strong;tagalīh,daily.Umlaut must have taken place earlier in the spoken language than it is expressed in late OHG. and earlyMHG. manuscripts, because theī̆which caused the umlaut was weakened toein MHG. (§7) andjhad disappeared except between vowels. The vowels and diphthongs which underwent umlaut in MHG. area,o,u,ā,ō,ū,ou,uo. The umlaut of all these sounds was completed by about the year 1200.a>e:gast,guest, pl.geste(OHG.gesti);lamp,lamb, pl.lember(OHG.lembir); inf.graben,to dig, pres. second and third pers. sing.grebes(t),grebet(OHG.grebis,grebit);lanc,long, besidelenge(OHG.lengī),length;brennen, Goth.brannjan,to burn;bette(OHG.betti),bed.a>ä: From the twelfth century onwards the umlaut ofaalso occurs—often beside forms without umlaut—in words containing the consonant combinations which prevented umlaut from taking place in OHG., as pl.mähte(OHG.mahti),powers;geslähte(OHG.gislahti),race,generation;wähset(OHG.wahsit),he grows;wärmen(OHG.warmen, older*warmjan),to warm; Upper Germanälter(OHG.altiro),older;kälte(OHG.kaltī),coldness;hältet(OHG.haltit),he holds;äher(OHG.ahir),ear of corn;slähet(OHG.slahit),he strikes. It also occurs in derivatives ending in-līch,-līn, asmänlīch,manly,schämelīch,shameful,tägelīch,daily,väterlīch,fatherly,väterlīn, dim. ofvater,father. It is likewise met with in MHG. words which originally had aniin the third syllable, the vowel of the second syllable having becomeiby assimilation, asfrävele(OHG.frafali),bold, pl.mägede(OHG.magadi),maids, pl.zäher(e)(OHG.zahari),tears. See§2, Note.o>ö: Althoughö, the umlaut ofo, is common in MHG. and still commoner in NHG., yet all words containing this umlaut are really new formations due to levelling or analogy, because primitive Germanicu(§15) did not becomeoin OHG. when followed by anī̆orjinthe next syllable. Examples are:boc,he-goat, beside dim.böcklīn(OHG.pochilī);dorf,village, beside pl.dörfer;got,God, besidegötinne,goddess;hof,court, besidehövesch,courtly;loch(OHG.loh),hole, beside pl.löcher(OHG.lohhir);tohter,daughter, beside dim.töhterlīn; pret. subj.möhte(OHG.mohti),I might;törste(OHG.torsti),I might dare.u>ü:dünne(OHG.dunni),thin;künne(OHG.kunni),race,generation; pl.süne(OHG.suni),sons;tür(OHG.turi),door; pret. subj.züge(OHG.zugi), inf.ziehen,to draw.Note.— In Upper German certain consonant combinations often prevented umlaut from taking place where it might be expected. Of these the principal are:—1.Before a liquid + consonant, ashulde(OHG.huldī),favour;schuldec(OHG.sculdīg),guilty;gedultec(OHG.gidultīg),indulgent;burge(OHG.burgi), dat. ofburc,city;sturbe(OHG.sturbi), pret. subj. ofstërben,to die;wurfe(OHG.wurfi), pret. subj. ofwërfen,to throw, cp.2 above.2.ufluctuates withüwhen followed by a nasal + consonant, asdunken,to seem,umbe,about,wunne,joy, besidedünken,ümbe(OHG.umbi),wünne. This fluctuation is especially common in the pret. subjunctive, asbunde,sunge, besidebünde,sünge, inf.binden,to bind,singen,to sing.3.ufluctuates withüwhen followed bygg,ck,pf,tz,ȥȥ,st,ch, andg, asbrugge,brügge,brucke,brücke,bridge;mugge,mügge,mucke,mücke,midge;drucken,drücken,to press;hupfen,hüpfen,to hop;schupfen,schüpfen,to push;nutzen,nützen,to use; pret. subj.fluȥȥe,flüȥȥe;schuȥȥe,schüȥȥe, inf.flieȥen,to flow,schieȥen,to shoot; pl.bruste,brüste,breasts;kuchen,küchen,kitchen; pret. subj.fluge,flüge, inf.fliegen,to fly.ā>æ:lære(OHG.lāri),empty;mære(OHG.māri),renowned;sæjen(OHG.sājan),to sow; pret. subj.næme(OHG.nāmi), pl.næmen(OHG.nāmīm), inf.nëmen,to take.ō>œ:hœher(OHG.hōhiro),higher;hœhest(OHG.hōhisto),highest;hœren(OHG.hōren, from older*hōrjan),to hear;schœne(OHG.scōni),beautiful.ū>iu: pl.briute(OHG.brūti),brides;hiuser(OHG.hūsir),houses.Traces of the umlaut ofū, writteniu(=ǖ), occur in late OHG. monuments of the tenth century. It is common in the writings of Notker († 1022), ashiuteolderhūti,skins;chriuterolderchrūtir,herbs. In other writings of the tenth to the twelfth century the umlaut ofūis seldom found. Umlaut did not take place in Upper German before a followingm, asrūmenfrom*rūmjan,to make room;sūmenfrom*sūmjan,to tarry.ou>öu, often writteneu, rarelyoi,öi:löufel(OHG.loufil),runner;löuber(OHG.loubir),leaves.Umlaut ofoudid not take place in the combinationouw= OHG.ouw,auw, West Germanicaww, primitive Germanicawj, asfrouwe(OHG.frouwa, prim. Germanic*frawjō-),woman;ouwe(OHG.ouwa,auwia, prim. Germanic*a(ʒ)wjō-),meadow;frouwen(OHG.frouwen, prim. Germanic*frawjan),to rejoice, and similarlydouwen,to digest,drouwen,to threaten,strouwen,to strew. Forms likefröuwen,döuwen,dröuwen,ströuwenwere analogical formations due to the influence of the pres. second and third pers. singular and the preterite which regularly had umlaut; see the Author’s Historical German Grammar, §232.Umlaut ofoudid not take place in Upper German before labials andg, aserlouben,to allow,gelouben,to believe,houbet,head,koufen,to buy,troumen,to dream,toufen,to baptize,bougen,to bend,ougen,to show, beside Middle Germanerlöuben,gelöuben,höubet,köufen,tröumen,töufen,böugen,öugen.uo>üe:grüene(OHG.gruoni),green;güete(OHG.guotī),goodness;vüeȥe(OHG.fuoȥi),feet; pret. pl. subj.vüeren(OHG.fuorīm),we might go, inf.varn,to fare,go;buoch,book, dim.büechlīn;muoter,mother, dim.müeterlīn.The MHG. Equivalents of the OHG. Vowels.§ 11.OHG. had the following short vowels, long vowels, and diphthongs:—Short Vowelsa,e,ë,i,o,u.Long Vowelsā,ē,ī,ō,ū.Diphthongsei,ie(ia,ea),io(eo),iu.ou(au),uo.The following are the MHG. equivalents of the above simple vowels and diphthongs in accented syllables:—1.The short vowels: Apart from the changes caused by umlaut, viz.atoä,otoö,utoü(§10), and ofëtoebefore certain consonants, the OHG. short vowels remained in MHG., asa= (1) MHG.a, as OHG.fater,father,tag,day,faran,to go= MHG.vater,tac,varn.a= (2) MHG.ä, in words containing the consonant combinations which prevented umlaut from taking place in OHG., as OHG.mahti,powers,kaltī,coldness,ahir,ear of corn,warmen,to warm= MHG.mähte,kälte,äher,wärmen, see§10.e= MHG.e, as OHG.gesti,guests,lembir,lambs,brennen,to burn= MHG.geste,lember,brennen.ë= (1) MHG.ë, as OHG.wëg,way,hëlfan,to help,stëlan,to steal= MHG.wëc,hëlfen,stëln.ë= (2) MHG.e, beforest,sch, and palatalg, as OHG.nëst,nest,swëster,sister= MHG.nest,swester; and similarly,gestern,yesterday,deste,all the more,weste,I knew,dreschen,to thrash,leschen,to go out,degen,warrior; and also in a few words before a followingl, ashelm,helmet,vels,rock,welch,which, &c.i= MHG.i, as OHG.fisk,fish,nimu,I take,wiȥȥan,to know= MHG.visch,nime,wiȥȥen.o= (1) MHG.o, as OHG.got,God, p.p.giholfan,helped,tohter,daughter= MHG.got,geholfen,tohter.o= (2) MHG.ö, as OHG.lohhir,holes,mohti,I might= MHG.löcher,möhte.u= (1) MHG.u, as OHG.sunu,sun,son,butum,we offered,buntum,we bound= MHG.sun,buten,bunden.u= (2) MHG.ü, as OHG.dunni,thin,suni,sons= MHG.dünne,süne.2.The long vowels: Apart from the changes caused by umlaut, viz.ātoæ,ōtoœ, andūtoiu(§10), the OHG. long vowels remained in MHG., asā= (1) MHG.ā, as OHG.sāt,seed,slāfan,to sleep,dāhta,I thought= MHG.sāt,slāfen,dāhte.ā= (2) MHG.æ, as OHGlāri,empty,nāmi,I might take= MHG.lære,næme.ē= MHG.ē, as OHG.ēra,honour,lēren,to teach,sēla,soul= MHG.ēre,lēren,sēle.ī= MHG.ī, as OHG.sīn,his,wīb,woman,snīdan,to cut= MHG.sīn,wīp,snīden.ō= (1) MHG.ō, as OHG.ōra,ear,tōd,death,kōs,I chose= MHG.ōre,tōt,kōs.ō= (2) MHG.œ, as OHG.hōhiro,higher,hōren,to hear,scōni,beautiful= MHG.hœher,hœren,schœne.ū= (1) MHG.ū, as OHG.hūs,house,rūm,room,dūhta,it seemed= MHG.hūs,rūm,dūhte.ū= (2) MHG.iu, as OHG.hūsir,houses,brūti,brides= MHG.hiuser,briute.3.The diphthongs:ei= MHG.ei, as OHG.bein,bone,leiten,to lead,sneid,I cut= MHG.bein,leiten,sneit.ie(olderia,ea= Germanicē) = MHG.ie, as OHG.hier,here,mieta,reward,hielt,I held,hieȥ,I called,slief,I slept= MHG.hier,miete,hielt,hieȥ,slief.io(eo) = Germaniceu(§16), and theio(eo) in the preterites of the old reduplicated verbs whose presents haveou,ō,uo(§87).io(eo)= MHG.ie, as OHG.liob,dear,biotan,to offer= MHG.liep,bieten; OHG.liof,I ran,stioȥ,I pushed,riof,I called= MHG.lief,stieȥ,rief.iu= MHG.ǖwritteniu, as OHG.liuti,people,kiusit,he chooses= MHG.liute,kiuset.ou(olderau) = (1) MHG.ou, as OHG.ouga,eye,boug,I bent,loufan,to run= MHG.ouge,bouc,loufen.ou(olderau)= (2) MHG.öu(eu), as OHG.loubir,leaves,loufil,runner= MHG.löuber,löufel.uo= (1) MHG.uo, as OHG.bruoder,brother,muoter,mother,stuont,I stood= MHG.bruoder,muoter,stuont.uo= (2) MHG.üe, as OHG.gruoni,green,fuoȥi,feet, = MHG.grüene,vüeȥe.Ablaut (Vowel Gradation).§ 12.By ablaut is meant the gradation of vowels both in stem and suffix, which was chiefly caused by the primitive Indo-Germanic system of accentuation. See the Author’s Historical German Grammar, §23.The vowels vary within certain series of related vowels, called ablaut-series. In MHG. there are six such series, which appear most clearly in the stem-forms of strong verbs. Four stem-forms are to be distinguished in a MHG. strong verb which has vowel gradation as the characteristic mark of its different stems:—(1) the present stem, to which belong all the forms of the present, (2) the stem of the first or third person of the preterite singular, (3) the stem of the preterite plural, to which belong the second person of the preterite singular and the whole of the preterite subjunctive, (4) the stem of the past participle.By arranging the vowels according to these four stems we arrive at the following system:—i.ii.iii.iv.I.īei,ēiiII.ieou,ōuoIII.i,ëauu,oIV.ëaāoV.ëaāëVI.auouoaNote.—1.On the difference betweeneiandē, see§17;ouandō, §18; and in Series IIIiandë, §14;uando, §15.2.Strong verbs belonging to Series II haveiuin the indicative pres. singular; and strong verbs belonging to Series III-V withëin the infinitive haveiin the indicative pres. singular (§§14,16).Examples.I.snīden,to cutsnīdesneitsnitengesniten;līhen,to lendlīhelēchlihengelihen.II.biegen,to bendbiugeboucbugengebogen;sieden,to seethesiudesōtsutengesoten.III.binden,to bindbindebantbundengebunden;hëlfen,to helphilfehalfhulfengeholfen.IV.nëmen,to takenimenamnāmengenomen.V.gëben,to givegibegapgābengegëben.VI.graben,to diggrabegruopgruobengegraben.For further examples see the various classes of strong verbs §§76-86. Class VII of strong verbs embracing the old reduplicated verbs (§87) has been omitted from the ablaut-series, because the exact relation in which the vowel of the present stands to that of the preterite has not yet been satisfactorily explained.Other Vowel Changes.§ 13.Most of the following vowel changes took place in prehistoric times; but as they play an important part in the verbs and word-formation, &c., we shall give them here.§ 14.ë(= Indo-Germanice) becameiin the prehistoric period of all the Germanic languages:—1.Before a nasal + consonant, as OE.wind, OHG. MHG.wint, Lat.ventus,wind; OHG.fimf,finf, Gr.πέντε,five. This explains why verbs like MHG.binden,to bind,rinnen,to run,singen,to sing, belong to the same ablaut-series ashëlfen,to help,wërden,to become.2.Before other consonants when followed by anī̆orjin the next syllable, and further in OHG. when followed by anuin the next syllable, as OHG. MHG.ist, Gr.ἐστί,is; OHG.fihu, Lat.pecu,cattle;ërde(OHG.ërda),earth, butirdīn,earthen;ligen(OHG.liggenfrom*ligjan),to lie down,sitzen(OHG.sitzenfrom*sitjan),to sit, but p.p.gelëgen(OHG.gilëgan),gesëȥȥen(OHG.gisëȥȥan). This explains why strong verbs belonging to the fourth (§§12,82) and fifth (§§12,83) ablaut-series haveithroughout the present singular, and similarly in verbs belonging to the third (§§12,81) series withëin the infinitive, asOHG.nëman,to take,three persons sing.nimu,nimis(t),nimit.MHG.nëmen,„„„„nime,nimes(t),nimet.OHG.gëban,to give,„„„gibu,gibis(t),gibit.MHG.gëben,„„„„gibe,gibes(t),gibet.OHG.hëlfan,to help,„„„hilfu,hilfis(t),hilfit.MHG.hëlfen,„„„„hilfe,hilfes(t),hilfet.§ 15.u, followed originally by anā̆,ō̆, orēin the next syllable, becameowhen not protected by a nasal + consonant or an interveningī̆orj; hence the interchange betweenuandoin the preterite plural and past participle of verbs belonging to the second ablaut-series (§§12,78), asbugen(OHG.bugum),we bent, p.p.gebogen(OHG.gibogan); in the p.p. of verbs belonging to the third ablaut-series (§§12,81), asgebunden(OHG.gibuntan), butgeholfen(OHG.giholfan); in weak verbs asfürhten(OHG.furhtenfrom*furhtjan),to fear, beside pret.vorhte(OHG.forhta);hügen(OHG.huggenfrom*hugjan) besidehogen(OHG.hogēn),to think; in preterite presents likedurfen(OHG.durfum),we dare, beside pret.dorfte(OHG.dorfta); in many nouns and adjectives, aswolle(OHG.wolla),wool, besidewüllīn,wullīn,woollen;wolf(stem*wulfo-),wolf, besidewülpinne,she-wolf;vol,full, besidevülle(OHG.fullī),fulness;golt,gold, besideguldīn,golden.§ 16.From primitive Germaniceuwere developed two different diphthongs in OHG., viz.eubecameeo(cp.§15), laterio, when originally followed by anā̆,ō̆, orēin the next syllable, and thisiowas regularly developed toiein MHG.; whereaseubecameiuin OHG. when originally followed by anī̆,joruin the next syllable, and thisiubecameǖ(writteniu) in MHG., even after theī̆,joruhad been weakened toe. This law explains the difference between the diphthongiein the infinitive and the simple voweliu(=ǖ) in the three persons singular of the present indicative of verbs belonging to the second ablaut-series (§§12,78), asOHG.biogan,to bend,pres. sing.biugu,biugis(t),biugit;MHG.biegen,„„„biuge,biuges(t),biuget.Cp. furthertief(OHG.tiof),deep, beside OHG.tiufī,depth;lieht(OHG.lioht),a light, besideliuhten(OHG.liuhtenfrom*liuhtjan),to light.Note.— Theiuin the above and similar examples must not be confounded with theiuin the OHG. and MHG. combinationiuwwhich arose from prim. Germaniceww(=euw), andewj, astriuwe(OHG.triuwi, Goth.triggws),true;triuwen,trūwen,to trust, pret.triuete,triute,trūte;riuwe(OHG.riuwa),regret,bliuwen(OHG.bliuwan, Goth.bliggwan),to strike, and similarly,briuwen,to brew,kiuwen,to chew,riuwen,to regret;niuwe(OHG.niuwi, Goth.niujis, prim. Germanic stem-form*newja-),new. Thisiubeforewnever interchanged with MHG.iefrom prim. Germaniceu, and explains why the strong verbsbliuwen, &c. haveiuin all forms of the present.§ 17.Accented primitive Germanicai(= Goth.ái) becameēin OHG. beforer,w, Germanich(cp.§23, 1), and finally; in MHG. it appears also asēbefore the same consonants and finally, asmēre,mēr(OHG.mēro, Goth.máiza),more,lēren(OHG.lēren, Goth.láisjan),to teach;sēle(OHG.sēla, oldersēula, Goth.sáiwala),soul;snē(OHG.snēo, Goth.snáiws),snow, gen. OHG. and MHG.snēwes;spīwen,to spit, pret.spē(OHG.spēo, Goth.spáiw);dīhen,to thrive, pret.dēch(OHG.dēh, Goth.dáih);wē(OHG.wē, Goth.wái),woe!; in all other casesaibecameeiin both OHG. and MHG., asstein(Goth.stáins),stone,heiȥen(OHG.heiȥan, Goth.háitan),to call;snīden,to cut, pret.sneit(OHG.sneid, Goth.snáiþ). This accounts for the difference between theeiandēin the preterite singular of strong verbs belonging to the first ablaut-series (§§12,76).§ 18.Primitive Germanicaubecameōin OHG. before the consonantsd,t,ȥ,s,n,r,l, and Germanich(cp.23, 1). Before other consonants and finallyaubecameouin the ninth century. Hence the difference betweenōandouin the preterite singular of strong verbs belonging to the second ablaut-series (§§12,78), as:—Infinitivebieten,to offer,pret. sing.bōt„sieden,to seethe,„„sōt„kiesen,to choose,„„kōs„dieȥen,to roar,„„dōȥ„vliehen,to flee,„„vlōch(OHG.flōh);but„biegen,to bend,„„bouc„klieben,to cleave„„kloup.CHAPTER IITHE CONSONANTS1. Pronunciation of the Consonants.§ 19.The MHG. consonant-system was represented by the following letters:b,c,ch,d,f,g,h,j,k,l,m,n,p,q,r,s,sch,t,v,w, (x),z,ȥ.The lettersk,l,m,n,p,t,w, (x) had nearly the same sound-values as in English. The remaining letters require special attention.When the pronunciation of consonants merely differs in the intensity or force with which they are produced,they are called fortes or lenes according as they are produced with more or less intensity or force. In MHG. the consonantsb,d,gwere not voiced explosives like Englishb,d,g, but were voiceless lenes, and only differed from the fortesp,t,kin being produced with less intensity or force, see§33. A similar difference in pronunciation existed between antevocalic and intervocalicv,sand finalf,s, see§33.candkrepresented the same sound. The latter was generally used at the beginning, and the former at the end of a syllable, askunst,art;trinken,to drink,senken,to sink(trans.), pret.tranc,sancte.chhad the same sound as in NHG.nacht,noch, assprechen,to speak, pret.sprach;hōch,high.fhad a twofold pronunciation in the oldest HG. It was a labiodental when it arose from Germanicf(cp. OHG.fater, Englishfather), and bilabial when it arose from Germanicp(cp. inf. OHG.slāfan, Englishsleep), but during the OHG. period the bilabialfbecame labiodental. The two kinds offdid not however completely fall together in pronunciation.f= Germanicfbecame a lenis initially before and medially between vowels, and was often writtenvin the former and generallyvin the latter position, but remained a fortis—writtenf—when final. In MHG. it was also often writtenfinitially beforel,r,u, asfliehen,to flee,fride,peace,fünf,five, besidevliehen,vride,vünf. On the other handf= Germanicp(§23, 1), which only occurred medially and finally, was a fortis and was always writtenf(ff), asslāfen,to sleep, pret.slief;tief,deep,schif(gen.schiffes),ship,offen,open. The twofsounds thus fell together when final, but the distinction between the two sounds was still preserved in MHG. in the intervocalic position, ashof,court,schif,ship, but gen.hoves,schiffes.hbefore and after consonants was pronounced likech,asfuhs,fox,naht,night,bevëlhen,to confide.In other cases it had the same sound as thehin Englishhat.jhad nearly the same sound as theyin Englishyet, asjār,year,junc,young;blüejen,to blossom.qoccurred only in combination withuas in English, asquëc,quick, alive,quëden,to say.rwas a trilled sound in all positions like Scotchr, asrōt,red,hart,hard,bërn,to bear,vater,father.swas a lenis medially between vowels and probably also initially before vowels, but a fortis in other positions, assun,son,wësen,to be, pret.was,bresten,to burst. It may be pronounced like thesin Englishsit.schwas like theshin Englishship, asschif,ship,geschëhen,to happen,visch,fish.vwas a voiceless lenis, and may be pronounced like thevin NHG.voll. Seef.wwas pronounced like thewin Englishwet, aswīn,wine,bliuwen,to strike.zandȥwere not distinguished in MHG. manuscripts, both being writtenz. Bothzandȥ(butȥȥmedially between vowels when the first vowel was short) arose from Germanict(see§23).zhad the sound-value ofts(= NHG.z): (a) always initially, aszīt,time; (b) medially and finally after consonants (l,m,n,r), asholz(gen.holzes),wood,hërze,heart,smërze,pain,ganz,whole; (c) finally after vowels (= Germanictt) in those words which change finalztotzwhen it becomes medial, asschaz(gen.schatzes), OE.sceatt,money, treasure. MHG. intervocalictzalways arose from oldertt, assetzen= OE.settan,to set.ȥwas a kind of lispedsand only occurred medially between and finally after vowels, asbīȥen,to bite,ëȥȥen,to eat,haȥ,hatred. It should be noted that good MHG. poets never rhymed pairs of words likewas,was, andwaȥ,what;missen,to miss, andwiȥȥen,to know.phandpfrepresent the same sound, viz. thepfin NHG.pfund,pound.
The asterisk * prefixed to a word denotes a theoretical form, as MHG.wärmenfrom*warmjan, to warm.
In representing prehistoric forms the following signs are used:—þ(=thin Engl.thin),ð(=thin Engl.then),ƀ(= a bilabial spirant, which may be pronounced like thevin Engl.vine),ʒ(=goften heard in Germansagen),χ(= NHG.chand thechin Scotchloch),ŋ(=nin Engl.sunk).
§ 1.
Middle High German(MHG.) embraces the High German language from about the year 1100 to 1500. It is divided into three great dialect-groups: Upper German, Franconian, and East Middle German.
1. Upper German is divided into: (a) Alemanic, embracing High Alemanic (Switzerland), and Low Alemanic (South Baden, Swabia, and Alsace). (b) Bavarian, extending over Bavaria and those parts of Austria where German is spoken.
2. Franconian (West Middle German), which is subdivided into Upper Franconian and Middle Franconian. Upper Franconian consists of East Franconian (the old duchy of Francia Orientalis) and Rhenish Franconian (the old province of Francia Rhinensis), Middle Franconian extending over the district along the banks of the Moselle and of the Rhine from Coblence to Düsseldorf.
3. East Middle German, extending over: Thuringia, Upper Saxony, and Silesia.
Since it is impossible to deal with all these dialects in an elementary book like the present, we shall confine ourselves almost exclusively to Upper German, and shall only deal with that period of Middle High German which extends from about 1200 to 1300.
§ 2.MHG. had the following simple vowels and diphthongs:—
Note.—ërepresents primitive Germanice(= Gr.ε, Lat.e, as in Gr.δέκα, Lat.decem, MHG.zëhen,ten) and is generally writtenëin Old and Middle High German grammars, in order to distinguish it from the OHG. umlaut-e(§10). The former was an open sound like theein Englishbed, whereas the latter was a close sound like theéin Frenchété.äwas a very open sound nearly like theain Englishhat, and arose in MHG. from thei-umlaut ofa(§10). Good MHG. poets do not rhyme Germanicëwith the umlaut-e, and the distinction between the two sounds is still preserved in many NHG. dialects. In like manner the modern Bavarian and Austrian dialects still distinguish betweenäandë. In the MHG. periodä,ë, andewere kept apart in Bavarian, but in Alemanic and Middle Germanäandëseem to have fallen together inëor possiblyä, as the two sounds frequently rhyme with each other in good poets. MHG. texts do not always preserve in writing the distinction between the old umlaut-eand the MHG. umlaut-ä, both being often writtenein the same text.
§ 3.The approximate pronunciation of the above vowels and diphthongs was as follows:—
To the above list should be added the MHG.ein unaccented syllables, which mostly arose from the weakening of the OHG. full vowels, as OHG.zunga,tongue,hirti,shepherd,namo,name,fridu,peace= MHG.zunge,hirte,name,fride; OHG.habēn,to have,scōnī,beauty,salbōn,to anoint,zungūn,tongues= MHG.haben,schœne,salben,zungen. Theein this position was pronounced like the-ein NHG.zunge,name,friede, &c.
§ 4.
Shortä,ë,e,i,ö,ü.
Longæ,ē,ī,œ,iu(=ü).
Shorta,o,u.
Longā,ō,ū.
§ 5.The following are the OHG. equivalents of the MHG. short vowels, long vowels and diphthongs of accented syllables:—
1. The short vowelsa,ë,e,i,o,u= the corresponding OHG. short vowels, astac,day,gast,guest,bant,he bound,gap,he gave= OHG.tag,gast,bant,gab.
wëc,way,nëmen,to take,zëhen,ten= OHG.wëg,nëman,zëhan.
geste,guests,lember,lambs,vert,he goes= OHG.gesti,lembir,ferit.
wiȥȥen,to know,hilfe,I help,visch,fish= OHG.wiȥȥan,hilfu,fisk.
got,God,wol,well,geholfen,helped= OHG.got,wola,giholfan.
sun,son,wurm,worm,gebunden,bound= OHG.sunu,wurm,gibuntan.
äis the umlaut ofabefore certain consonant combinations which prevented umlaut from taking place in OHG., asmähte,powers,hältet,he holds,wärmen,to warm= OHG.mahti,haltit,warmen from *warmjan(§10). It also occurs in derivatives ending in-līchand-līn, asmänlīch,manly,tägelīch,daily,väterlīn, dim. ofvater,father; and in words which originally had aniin the third syllable, the vowel of the second syllable having becomeiby assimilation, asmägede,maids,zäher(e),tears= OHG.magadi,zahari.
öis the umlaut of OHG.o, aslöcher,holes,möhte,I might= OHG.lohhir,mohti;götinne,goddess, besidegot,God.
üis the umlaut of OHG.u, asdünne,thin,süne,sons,züge,I might draw= OHG.dunni,suni,zugi.
2. The long vowelsā,ē,ī,ō,ū= the corresponding OHG. long vowels, assāt,seed,slāfen,to sleep,nāmen,we took,dāhte,he thought= OHG.sāt,slāfan,nāmum,dāhta.
sēle,soul,mēre,more,lēren,to teach= OHG.sēla,mēro,lēren.
wīp,wife,sīn,his,bīȥen,to bite= OHG.wīb,sīn,bīȥan.
ōre,ear,tōt,death,kōs,I chose= OHG.ōra,tōd,kōs.
hūs,house,tūsent,thousand,dūhte,it seemed= OHG.hūs,dūsunt,dūhta.
æis the umlaut of OHG.ā, aslære,empty,næme,thou tookest= OHG.lāri,nāmi.
œis the umlaut of OHG.ō, asschœne,beautiful,hœher,higher,hœren,to hear= OHG.scōni,hōhiro,hōrenfrom*hōrjanolder*hausjan.
iu= (1) OHG.iu(diphthong), asliute,people,kiuset,he chooses= OHG.liuti,kiusit.
iu= (2) the umlaut of OHG.ū, ashiuser,houses,briute,brides= OHG.hūsir,brūti.
3. The diphthongsei,ou,uo= the corresponding OHG. diphthongs, asbein,bone,leiten,to lead,schreip,I wrote= OHG.bein,leiten,screib.
ouge,eye,houbet,head,bouc,I bent= OHG.ouga,houbit,boug.
bruoder,brother,stuont,I stood,vuor,I went= OHG.bruoder,stuont,fuor.
ie= (1) OHG.ie(diphthong) olderia,ea,ē(Germanicē), ashier,here,miete,pay, reward,gienc,I went= OHG.hier,mieta,gieng.
ie= (2) OHG.io(Germaniceu), asbieten,to offer,liep,dear= OHG.biotan,liob.
ie= (3) the OHG.iowhich occurs in the preterite of the old reduplicated verbs whose presents haveou,ō,uo(§87), as inf.loufen,to run,stōȥen,to push,ruofen,to call, preteritelief,stieȥ,rief= OHG.liof,stioȥ,riof.
ie= (4) Upper Germaniu(OHG.io) before labials and gutturals, asliup,dear,tiuf,deep,siuch,sick,liugen,to tell a lie=liep,tief,siech,liegen.
öu(eu) is the umlaut of OHG.ou, aslöuber,leaves,löufel,runner= OHG.loubir,loufil.
üeis the umlaut of OHG.uo, asgrüene,green,güete,goodness,vüere,thou didst go= OHG.gruoni,guotī,fuori.
§ 6.The two most characteristic differences between OHG. and MHG. are: (1) the spread of umlaut (§10); (2) the weakening and partial loss of vowels in unaccented syllables.
§ 7.The short vowelsa,i,o,u, and the long vowelsē,ī,ō,ūwere weakened toe. Thisewas pronounced like the final-ein NHG.leute, see§3. Examples are:—
gëba,gift,hërza,heart,zunga,tongue,taga,days= MHG.gëbe,hërze,zunge,tage;heilag,holy, neut.blindaȥ,blind,nëman,to take= MHG.heilec,blindeȥ,nëmen.
kunni,race, generation,gesti,guests= MHG.künne,geste;kuning,king,beȥȥisto,best, dat. pl.gestim,toguests, gen. pl.lembiro,of lambs,nimit,he takes= MHG.künec,beȥȥest(beste),gesten,lember(e),nimet.
haso,hare, nom. acc. pl. fem.blinto,blind, gen. pl.tago,of days= MHG.hase,blinde,tage; acc. sing.hason,hare= MHG.hasen.
fridu,peace, dat. sing.gëbu,to a gift,nimu,I take= MHG.fride,gëbe,nime; dat. pl.tagum,to days,nāmum,we took= MHG.tagen,nāmen.
Nom. sing. masc.blintēr,blind,unsēr,our,habēn,to have,nëmēm,we may take= MHG.blinder,unser,haben,nëmen.
scōnī,beauty= MHG.schœne;sālīg,blessed,nāmīm,we might take= MHG.sælec,næmen.
salbōn,to anoint,suohtōs(t),thou soughtest, dat. pl.gëbōm,hërzōm= MHG.salben,suohtes(t),gëben,hërzen.
Gen. dat. acc. sing., nom. acc. pl.zungūn= MHG.zungen.
§ 8.The vowel in suffixal and derivative syllables was generally weakened toejust as in the inflexional syllables, but in some suffixal and derivative syllables which had a secondary accent the vowel was not weakened toe. This was especially the case with derivatives in-ære(denoting nomina agentis),-inne,-inc(-ing),linc(-ling), diminutives in-īnand-līn, abstract nouns in-nisse(-nusse,-nüsse),-unge. In others the vowel fluctuated between the full vowel ande, as in-ischbeside-esch;-ic(= OHG.-ag, and-ī̆g) beside-ec; superlative of adjectives-ist(= OHG.-ist) beside-est(= OHG.-ōst);-salbeside-sel. Beside the full forms-līch,-rīchoccurred the shortened forms-lich,-rich.
The OHG. endings of the present participle-anti,-enti,-ōnti,ēntiregularly became-ende, but-antoccurs in a few old participles which had become nouns, asheilant,Saviour,wīgant,warrior,vīantbesidevīent(vīnt),fiend,enemy. Examples are:gartenære,gardener,schepfære,creator,schrībære,scribe.
küneginne,queen,vriundinne,female friend,wirtinne,mistress.
edelinc,son of a nobleman,hendelinc,glove,vingerlinc,ring;müedinc,unhappy man.
magedīn,little girl,vingerīn,ring;kindelīn,little child,vogelīn,little bird.
hindernisse,hindrance,verdërbnisse,destruction,vinsternisse,darkness,vancnüsse,captivity.
beȥȥerunge,improvement,handelunge,action,mëldunge,announcement.
himelisch,heavenly,irdisch,earthly,kindisch,childish, beside-esch.
heilic(OHG.heilag),holy,honic(OHG.honag,honig),honey,künic(OHG.cuning,cunig),king,manic(OHG.manag),many a,sælic(OHG.sālīg),blessed, beside-ec.
oberistbesideoberest,highest.
kumbersal,distress,trüebsal,gloom,wëhsalbesidewëhsel,change.
bitterlīch,bitterly,sicherlīch,surely,wīslīch,wisely, beside-lich.
Dietrīch,Heinrīch, beside-rich.
The OHG. pronominal ending of the nom. sing. fem. and the nom. acc. pl. neuter remained unweakened, as OHG.blintiu= MHG.blindiu(§55).
§ 9.The weakenederegularly disappeared:—
1.Afterlandrin dissyllables with short stems, asar, olderare(OHG.aro),eagle, acc. gen. dat.arn, besidename,name,namen;wol, olderwole(OHG.wola),well;gar(OHG.garo),ready,milch(OHG.milih),milk,zal(OHG.zala),number;kil,quill, gen.kil(e)s, dat.kil,pl. nom. acc.kil, dat.kil(e)n, besidetac,day, gen.tages, dat.tage, pl. nom. acc.tage, dat.tagen;bërn,to bear,stëln,to steal,nern,to rescue, pres. sing.stil,stils(t),stilt; ner, ners(t), nert, besidehœren,to hear, pres. sing.hœre,hœres(t),hœret.
2.After liquids and nasals in trisyllabic and polysyllabic forms with long stems, assælde(OHG.sālida),blessedness,hērsen,hërsen(OHG.hērisōn),to rule,zierde(OHG.ziarida),adornment,wandelte(OHG.wantalōta),I wandered,zwīfeln(OHG.zwīfalōn),to doubt,wundern(OHG.wuntarōn),to wonder,schœnste(OHG.scōnisto),most beautiful,diente,diende(OHG.dionōta),I served;dienest,service, gen.dienstes;engel,angel, gen.engel(e)s, dat.engel(e), pl. nom. acc. gen.engel(e), dat.engel(e)n, and similarly with words likeacker,acre,lūter,clear,buosem,bosom,heiden,heathen;grœȥer(OHG.grōȥiro),greater, fem. dat. sing.grœȥer(OHG.grōȥiru); dat. sing.blindem(e),blind,guotem(e),good= OHG.blintemu,guotemu; gen. pl.blinder(e)= OHG.blintero. After the analogy of forms with long stems it was also dropped in forms with short stems, as pl.nagel,nails,vogel,birds, besidenagele,vogele;widerbesidewidere(OHG.widaro),wether, dat. sing.disem(e),this,vadem(e),thread, gen.vadem(e)s.
There was however a strong tendency in MHG. for the medial vowel to disappear in trisyllabic forms with long stems irrespectively as to whether they contained a liquid or a nasal, asmarket,market, gen.marktes;rīchsen(OHG.rīchisōn),to rule,ahte(OHG.ahtōta),he observed,wartte,warte(OHG.wartēta),he waited,vrāgtebesidevrāgete(OHG.frāgēta),he asked,danctebesidedankete(OHG.dankōta),he thanked. See§92.
3.In the medial syllable of trisyllabic forms with long stems having liquids or nasals in successive syllables, asdīmebesidedīneme(OHG.dīnemu), dat. ofdīn,thy;eimebesideein(e)me(OHG.einemu), dat. ofein,one;hērre,hërre(OHG.hēriro),master;minrebesideminner(e)(OHG.minniro),less;tiurre(OHG.tiuriro),dearer.
4.Finally after a nasal, and medially after a nasal before a followingt, in forms with short stems, ashan(e),cock,nam(e),name,sun(OHG.sun,sunu),son,won(e),I dwell;man(e)t,he admonishes,won(e)t,he dwells,scham(e)t,he shames,nim(e)t,he takes,nëm(e)t,ye take; pret.won(e)te,scham(e)te. In these and similar forms theewas often restored through the influence of forms which regularly preserved thee.
Note.— Thee, when not preceded by a nasal, was sometimes dropped in verbal forms ending int. This was especially the case inwirst,wirtolderwirdes(t),wirdet;siht,he sees,sëht,ye see, oldersihet,sëhet; and often in forms likegilt,vint,spricht,stichtbesidegiltet,vindet,sprichet,stichet.
5.The superlative of adjectives often has double forms, the one with the loss of the mediale, and the other with the loss of the finale, asbeste,best,ērste,first,grœste,greatest,leste,last,min(ne)ste,least,wir(se)ste,worst, besidebeȥȥest(e),ērest(e),grœȥest(e),leȥȥest(e),minnest(e),wirsest(e), OHG.beȥȥisto,ēristo,grōȥisto,leȥȥisto,minnisto,wirsisto.
6.In the unstressed forms of dissyllables, as adv.ane,abe,mite,obebeside the prepositionsan,on,ab,of,mit,with,ob,over; dat. sing.dëme,wëme,ime, besidedëm,wëm,im;unde,and,wande,for,because, besideund(unt),wan(d);hërre,vrouwe, besidehër,vroubefore proper names and titles.
7.Theein the unaccented verbal prefixesbe-,ge-often disappeared beforel,n,r, asblīben,to remain,glīch,like,glit,member,glouben,to believe,gnāde,favour,gnanne,namesake,gnuoge,many,grade,quick,grëch,straight,besidebelīben,gelīch,gelit,gelouben,genāde,genanne,genuoge,gerade,gerëch; it disappeared before vowels during the OHG. period, asbange,anxious:ange,anxiously,gëȥȥanp.p. ofëȥȥan,to eat,gunnan, MHG.gunnen,günnen,to grant.
§ 10.By umlaut is meant the modification (palatalization) of an accented vowel through the influence of anī̆orjwhich originally stood in the following syllable. The only vowel which underwent this change in OHG. wasa, which became closee(§2, note).
The change is first met with in OHG. monuments about the middle of the eighth century. In the ninth century the process was practically complete except when theawas followed by certain consonant combinations which prevented umlaut from taking place. These consonant combinations were:—
1.ht,hs, or consonant +w, asmaht,power, pl.mahti; wahsit,he grows, inf.wahsan;bi-scatwenfrom*-scatwjan,to shade.
2.In Upper German beforel+ consonant, beforehh,ch(= Germanick), and often beforer+ consonant, and beforeh(= Germanich), as Upper Germanhaltitbeside Upper Franconianheltit,he holds, inf.haltan; UG.altirobeside UF.eltiro,older; UG.sachitbeside UF.sehhit,he quarrels, inf.sachan, Goth.sakan; UG.warmenbesidewermen, Goth.warmjan,to warm; UG.slahitbesideslehit,he strikes, inf. OHG.slahan, Goth.slahan.
3.In words ending in-nissi, -nissa, or-līh, asfirstantnissi,understanding;infancnissa,assumption;kraftlīh,strong;tagalīh,daily.
Umlaut must have taken place earlier in the spoken language than it is expressed in late OHG. and earlyMHG. manuscripts, because theī̆which caused the umlaut was weakened toein MHG. (§7) andjhad disappeared except between vowels. The vowels and diphthongs which underwent umlaut in MHG. area,o,u,ā,ō,ū,ou,uo. The umlaut of all these sounds was completed by about the year 1200.
a>e:gast,guest, pl.geste(OHG.gesti);lamp,lamb, pl.lember(OHG.lembir); inf.graben,to dig, pres. second and third pers. sing.grebes(t),grebet(OHG.grebis,grebit);lanc,long, besidelenge(OHG.lengī),length;brennen, Goth.brannjan,to burn;bette(OHG.betti),bed.
a>ä: From the twelfth century onwards the umlaut ofaalso occurs—often beside forms without umlaut—in words containing the consonant combinations which prevented umlaut from taking place in OHG., as pl.mähte(OHG.mahti),powers;geslähte(OHG.gislahti),race,generation;wähset(OHG.wahsit),he grows;wärmen(OHG.warmen, older*warmjan),to warm; Upper Germanälter(OHG.altiro),older;kälte(OHG.kaltī),coldness;hältet(OHG.haltit),he holds;äher(OHG.ahir),ear of corn;slähet(OHG.slahit),he strikes. It also occurs in derivatives ending in-līch,-līn, asmänlīch,manly,schämelīch,shameful,tägelīch,daily,väterlīch,fatherly,väterlīn, dim. ofvater,father. It is likewise met with in MHG. words which originally had aniin the third syllable, the vowel of the second syllable having becomeiby assimilation, asfrävele(OHG.frafali),bold, pl.mägede(OHG.magadi),maids, pl.zäher(e)(OHG.zahari),tears. See§2, Note.
o>ö: Althoughö, the umlaut ofo, is common in MHG. and still commoner in NHG., yet all words containing this umlaut are really new formations due to levelling or analogy, because primitive Germanicu(§15) did not becomeoin OHG. when followed by anī̆orjinthe next syllable. Examples are:boc,he-goat, beside dim.böcklīn(OHG.pochilī);dorf,village, beside pl.dörfer;got,God, besidegötinne,goddess;hof,court, besidehövesch,courtly;loch(OHG.loh),hole, beside pl.löcher(OHG.lohhir);tohter,daughter, beside dim.töhterlīn; pret. subj.möhte(OHG.mohti),I might;törste(OHG.torsti),I might dare.
u>ü:dünne(OHG.dunni),thin;künne(OHG.kunni),race,generation; pl.süne(OHG.suni),sons;tür(OHG.turi),door; pret. subj.züge(OHG.zugi), inf.ziehen,to draw.
Note.— In Upper German certain consonant combinations often prevented umlaut from taking place where it might be expected. Of these the principal are:—
1.Before a liquid + consonant, ashulde(OHG.huldī),favour;schuldec(OHG.sculdīg),guilty;gedultec(OHG.gidultīg),indulgent;burge(OHG.burgi), dat. ofburc,city;sturbe(OHG.sturbi), pret. subj. ofstërben,to die;wurfe(OHG.wurfi), pret. subj. ofwërfen,to throw, cp.2 above.
2.ufluctuates withüwhen followed by a nasal + consonant, asdunken,to seem,umbe,about,wunne,joy, besidedünken,ümbe(OHG.umbi),wünne. This fluctuation is especially common in the pret. subjunctive, asbunde,sunge, besidebünde,sünge, inf.binden,to bind,singen,to sing.
3.ufluctuates withüwhen followed bygg,ck,pf,tz,ȥȥ,st,ch, andg, asbrugge,brügge,brucke,brücke,bridge;mugge,mügge,mucke,mücke,midge;drucken,drücken,to press;hupfen,hüpfen,to hop;schupfen,schüpfen,to push;nutzen,nützen,to use; pret. subj.fluȥȥe,flüȥȥe;schuȥȥe,schüȥȥe, inf.flieȥen,to flow,schieȥen,to shoot; pl.bruste,brüste,breasts;kuchen,küchen,kitchen; pret. subj.fluge,flüge, inf.fliegen,to fly.
ā>æ:lære(OHG.lāri),empty;mære(OHG.māri),renowned;sæjen(OHG.sājan),to sow; pret. subj.næme(OHG.nāmi), pl.næmen(OHG.nāmīm), inf.nëmen,to take.
ō>œ:hœher(OHG.hōhiro),higher;hœhest(OHG.hōhisto),highest;hœren(OHG.hōren, from older*hōrjan),to hear;schœne(OHG.scōni),beautiful.
ū>iu: pl.briute(OHG.brūti),brides;hiuser(OHG.hūsir),houses.
Traces of the umlaut ofū, writteniu(=ǖ), occur in late OHG. monuments of the tenth century. It is common in the writings of Notker († 1022), ashiuteolderhūti,skins;chriuterolderchrūtir,herbs. In other writings of the tenth to the twelfth century the umlaut ofūis seldom found. Umlaut did not take place in Upper German before a followingm, asrūmenfrom*rūmjan,to make room;sūmenfrom*sūmjan,to tarry.
ou>öu, often writteneu, rarelyoi,öi:löufel(OHG.loufil),runner;löuber(OHG.loubir),leaves.
Umlaut ofoudid not take place in the combinationouw= OHG.ouw,auw, West Germanicaww, primitive Germanicawj, asfrouwe(OHG.frouwa, prim. Germanic*frawjō-),woman;ouwe(OHG.ouwa,auwia, prim. Germanic*a(ʒ)wjō-),meadow;frouwen(OHG.frouwen, prim. Germanic*frawjan),to rejoice, and similarlydouwen,to digest,drouwen,to threaten,strouwen,to strew. Forms likefröuwen,döuwen,dröuwen,ströuwenwere analogical formations due to the influence of the pres. second and third pers. singular and the preterite which regularly had umlaut; see the Author’s Historical German Grammar, §232.
Umlaut ofoudid not take place in Upper German before labials andg, aserlouben,to allow,gelouben,to believe,houbet,head,koufen,to buy,troumen,to dream,toufen,to baptize,bougen,to bend,ougen,to show, beside Middle Germanerlöuben,gelöuben,höubet,köufen,tröumen,töufen,böugen,öugen.
uo>üe:grüene(OHG.gruoni),green;güete(OHG.guotī),goodness;vüeȥe(OHG.fuoȥi),feet; pret. pl. subj.vüeren(OHG.fuorīm),we might go, inf.varn,to fare,go;buoch,book, dim.büechlīn;muoter,mother, dim.müeterlīn.
§ 11.OHG. had the following short vowels, long vowels, and diphthongs:—
The following are the MHG. equivalents of the above simple vowels and diphthongs in accented syllables:—
1.The short vowels: Apart from the changes caused by umlaut, viz.atoä,otoö,utoü(§10), and ofëtoebefore certain consonants, the OHG. short vowels remained in MHG., as
a= (1) MHG.a, as OHG.fater,father,tag,day,faran,to go= MHG.vater,tac,varn.
a= (2) MHG.ä, in words containing the consonant combinations which prevented umlaut from taking place in OHG., as OHG.mahti,powers,kaltī,coldness,ahir,ear of corn,warmen,to warm= MHG.mähte,kälte,äher,wärmen, see§10.
e= MHG.e, as OHG.gesti,guests,lembir,lambs,brennen,to burn= MHG.geste,lember,brennen.
ë= (1) MHG.ë, as OHG.wëg,way,hëlfan,to help,stëlan,to steal= MHG.wëc,hëlfen,stëln.
ë= (2) MHG.e, beforest,sch, and palatalg, as OHG.nëst,nest,swëster,sister= MHG.nest,swester; and similarly,gestern,yesterday,deste,all the more,weste,I knew,dreschen,to thrash,leschen,to go out,degen,warrior; and also in a few words before a followingl, ashelm,helmet,vels,rock,welch,which, &c.
i= MHG.i, as OHG.fisk,fish,nimu,I take,wiȥȥan,to know= MHG.visch,nime,wiȥȥen.
o= (1) MHG.o, as OHG.got,God, p.p.giholfan,helped,tohter,daughter= MHG.got,geholfen,tohter.
o= (2) MHG.ö, as OHG.lohhir,holes,mohti,I might= MHG.löcher,möhte.
u= (1) MHG.u, as OHG.sunu,sun,son,butum,we offered,buntum,we bound= MHG.sun,buten,bunden.
u= (2) MHG.ü, as OHG.dunni,thin,suni,sons= MHG.dünne,süne.
2.The long vowels: Apart from the changes caused by umlaut, viz.ātoæ,ōtoœ, andūtoiu(§10), the OHG. long vowels remained in MHG., as
ā= (1) MHG.ā, as OHG.sāt,seed,slāfan,to sleep,dāhta,I thought= MHG.sāt,slāfen,dāhte.
ā= (2) MHG.æ, as OHGlāri,empty,nāmi,I might take= MHG.lære,næme.
ē= MHG.ē, as OHG.ēra,honour,lēren,to teach,sēla,soul= MHG.ēre,lēren,sēle.
ī= MHG.ī, as OHG.sīn,his,wīb,woman,snīdan,to cut= MHG.sīn,wīp,snīden.
ō= (1) MHG.ō, as OHG.ōra,ear,tōd,death,kōs,I chose= MHG.ōre,tōt,kōs.
ō= (2) MHG.œ, as OHG.hōhiro,higher,hōren,to hear,scōni,beautiful= MHG.hœher,hœren,schœne.
ū= (1) MHG.ū, as OHG.hūs,house,rūm,room,dūhta,it seemed= MHG.hūs,rūm,dūhte.
ū= (2) MHG.iu, as OHG.hūsir,houses,brūti,brides= MHG.hiuser,briute.
3.The diphthongs:
ei= MHG.ei, as OHG.bein,bone,leiten,to lead,sneid,I cut= MHG.bein,leiten,sneit.
ie(olderia,ea= Germanicē) = MHG.ie, as OHG.hier,here,mieta,reward,hielt,I held,hieȥ,I called,slief,I slept= MHG.hier,miete,hielt,hieȥ,slief.
io(eo) = Germaniceu(§16), and theio(eo) in the preterites of the old reduplicated verbs whose presents haveou,ō,uo(§87).
io(eo)= MHG.ie, as OHG.liob,dear,biotan,to offer= MHG.liep,bieten; OHG.liof,I ran,stioȥ,I pushed,riof,I called= MHG.lief,stieȥ,rief.
iu= MHG.ǖwritteniu, as OHG.liuti,people,kiusit,he chooses= MHG.liute,kiuset.
ou(olderau) = (1) MHG.ou, as OHG.ouga,eye,boug,I bent,loufan,to run= MHG.ouge,bouc,loufen.
ou(olderau)= (2) MHG.öu(eu), as OHG.loubir,leaves,loufil,runner= MHG.löuber,löufel.
uo= (1) MHG.uo, as OHG.bruoder,brother,muoter,mother,stuont,I stood= MHG.bruoder,muoter,stuont.
uo= (2) MHG.üe, as OHG.gruoni,green,fuoȥi,feet, = MHG.grüene,vüeȥe.
§ 12.By ablaut is meant the gradation of vowels both in stem and suffix, which was chiefly caused by the primitive Indo-Germanic system of accentuation. See the Author’s Historical German Grammar, §23.
The vowels vary within certain series of related vowels, called ablaut-series. In MHG. there are six such series, which appear most clearly in the stem-forms of strong verbs. Four stem-forms are to be distinguished in a MHG. strong verb which has vowel gradation as the characteristic mark of its different stems:—(1) the present stem, to which belong all the forms of the present, (2) the stem of the first or third person of the preterite singular, (3) the stem of the preterite plural, to which belong the second person of the preterite singular and the whole of the preterite subjunctive, (4) the stem of the past participle.
By arranging the vowels according to these four stems we arrive at the following system:—
Note.—1.On the difference betweeneiandē, see§17;ouandō, §18; and in Series IIIiandë, §14;uando, §15.
2.Strong verbs belonging to Series II haveiuin the indicative pres. singular; and strong verbs belonging to Series III-V withëin the infinitive haveiin the indicative pres. singular (§§14,16).
līhen,to lend
biegen,to bend
sieden,to seethe
binden,to bind
hëlfen,to help
nëmen,to take
gëben,to give
graben,to dig
For further examples see the various classes of strong verbs §§76-86. Class VII of strong verbs embracing the old reduplicated verbs (§87) has been omitted from the ablaut-series, because the exact relation in which the vowel of the present stands to that of the preterite has not yet been satisfactorily explained.
§ 13.Most of the following vowel changes took place in prehistoric times; but as they play an important part in the verbs and word-formation, &c., we shall give them here.
§ 14.ë(= Indo-Germanice) becameiin the prehistoric period of all the Germanic languages:—
1.Before a nasal + consonant, as OE.wind, OHG. MHG.wint, Lat.ventus,wind; OHG.fimf,finf, Gr.πέντε,five. This explains why verbs like MHG.binden,to bind,rinnen,to run,singen,to sing, belong to the same ablaut-series ashëlfen,to help,wërden,to become.
2.Before other consonants when followed by anī̆orjin the next syllable, and further in OHG. when followed by anuin the next syllable, as OHG. MHG.ist, Gr.ἐστί,is; OHG.fihu, Lat.pecu,cattle;ërde(OHG.ërda),earth, butirdīn,earthen;ligen(OHG.liggenfrom*ligjan),to lie down,sitzen(OHG.sitzenfrom*sitjan),to sit, but p.p.gelëgen(OHG.gilëgan),gesëȥȥen(OHG.gisëȥȥan). This explains why strong verbs belonging to the fourth (§§12,82) and fifth (§§12,83) ablaut-series haveithroughout the present singular, and similarly in verbs belonging to the third (§§12,81) series withëin the infinitive, as
§ 15.u, followed originally by anā̆,ō̆, orēin the next syllable, becameowhen not protected by a nasal + consonant or an interveningī̆orj; hence the interchange betweenuandoin the preterite plural and past participle of verbs belonging to the second ablaut-series (§§12,78), asbugen(OHG.bugum),we bent, p.p.gebogen(OHG.gibogan); in the p.p. of verbs belonging to the third ablaut-series (§§12,81), asgebunden(OHG.gibuntan), butgeholfen(OHG.giholfan); in weak verbs asfürhten(OHG.furhtenfrom*furhtjan),to fear, beside pret.vorhte(OHG.forhta);hügen(OHG.huggenfrom*hugjan) besidehogen(OHG.hogēn),to think; in preterite presents likedurfen(OHG.durfum),we dare, beside pret.dorfte(OHG.dorfta); in many nouns and adjectives, aswolle(OHG.wolla),wool, besidewüllīn,wullīn,woollen;wolf(stem*wulfo-),wolf, besidewülpinne,she-wolf;vol,full, besidevülle(OHG.fullī),fulness;golt,gold, besideguldīn,golden.
§ 16.From primitive Germaniceuwere developed two different diphthongs in OHG., viz.eubecameeo(cp.§15), laterio, when originally followed by anā̆,ō̆, orēin the next syllable, and thisiowas regularly developed toiein MHG.; whereaseubecameiuin OHG. when originally followed by anī̆,joruin the next syllable, and thisiubecameǖ(writteniu) in MHG., even after theī̆,joruhad been weakened toe. This law explains the difference between the diphthongiein the infinitive and the simple voweliu(=ǖ) in the three persons singular of the present indicative of verbs belonging to the second ablaut-series (§§12,78), as
Cp. furthertief(OHG.tiof),deep, beside OHG.tiufī,depth;lieht(OHG.lioht),a light, besideliuhten(OHG.liuhtenfrom*liuhtjan),to light.
Note.— Theiuin the above and similar examples must not be confounded with theiuin the OHG. and MHG. combinationiuwwhich arose from prim. Germaniceww(=euw), andewj, astriuwe(OHG.triuwi, Goth.triggws),true;triuwen,trūwen,to trust, pret.triuete,triute,trūte;riuwe(OHG.riuwa),regret,bliuwen(OHG.bliuwan, Goth.bliggwan),to strike, and similarly,briuwen,to brew,kiuwen,to chew,riuwen,to regret;niuwe(OHG.niuwi, Goth.niujis, prim. Germanic stem-form*newja-),new. Thisiubeforewnever interchanged with MHG.iefrom prim. Germaniceu, and explains why the strong verbsbliuwen, &c. haveiuin all forms of the present.
§ 17.Accented primitive Germanicai(= Goth.ái) becameēin OHG. beforer,w, Germanich(cp.§23, 1), and finally; in MHG. it appears also asēbefore the same consonants and finally, asmēre,mēr(OHG.mēro, Goth.máiza),more,lēren(OHG.lēren, Goth.láisjan),to teach;sēle(OHG.sēla, oldersēula, Goth.sáiwala),soul;snē(OHG.snēo, Goth.snáiws),snow, gen. OHG. and MHG.snēwes;spīwen,to spit, pret.spē(OHG.spēo, Goth.spáiw);dīhen,to thrive, pret.dēch(OHG.dēh, Goth.dáih);wē(OHG.wē, Goth.wái),woe!; in all other casesaibecameeiin both OHG. and MHG., asstein(Goth.stáins),stone,heiȥen(OHG.heiȥan, Goth.háitan),to call;snīden,to cut, pret.sneit(OHG.sneid, Goth.snáiþ). This accounts for the difference between theeiandēin the preterite singular of strong verbs belonging to the first ablaut-series (§§12,76).
§ 18.Primitive Germanicaubecameōin OHG. before the consonantsd,t,ȥ,s,n,r,l, and Germanich(cp.23, 1). Before other consonants and finallyaubecameouin the ninth century. Hence the difference betweenōandouin the preterite singular of strong verbs belonging to the second ablaut-series (§§12,78), as:—
§ 19.The MHG. consonant-system was represented by the following letters:b,c,ch,d,f,g,h,j,k,l,m,n,p,q,r,s,sch,t,v,w, (x),z,ȥ.
The lettersk,l,m,n,p,t,w, (x) had nearly the same sound-values as in English. The remaining letters require special attention.
When the pronunciation of consonants merely differs in the intensity or force with which they are produced,they are called fortes or lenes according as they are produced with more or less intensity or force. In MHG. the consonantsb,d,gwere not voiced explosives like Englishb,d,g, but were voiceless lenes, and only differed from the fortesp,t,kin being produced with less intensity or force, see§33. A similar difference in pronunciation existed between antevocalic and intervocalicv,sand finalf,s, see§33.
candkrepresented the same sound. The latter was generally used at the beginning, and the former at the end of a syllable, askunst,art;trinken,to drink,senken,to sink(trans.), pret.tranc,sancte.
chhad the same sound as in NHG.nacht,noch, assprechen,to speak, pret.sprach;hōch,high.
fhad a twofold pronunciation in the oldest HG. It was a labiodental when it arose from Germanicf(cp. OHG.fater, Englishfather), and bilabial when it arose from Germanicp(cp. inf. OHG.slāfan, Englishsleep), but during the OHG. period the bilabialfbecame labiodental. The two kinds offdid not however completely fall together in pronunciation.f= Germanicfbecame a lenis initially before and medially between vowels, and was often writtenvin the former and generallyvin the latter position, but remained a fortis—writtenf—when final. In MHG. it was also often writtenfinitially beforel,r,u, asfliehen,to flee,fride,peace,fünf,five, besidevliehen,vride,vünf. On the other handf= Germanicp(§23, 1), which only occurred medially and finally, was a fortis and was always writtenf(ff), asslāfen,to sleep, pret.slief;tief,deep,schif(gen.schiffes),ship,offen,open. The twofsounds thus fell together when final, but the distinction between the two sounds was still preserved in MHG. in the intervocalic position, ashof,court,schif,ship, but gen.hoves,schiffes.
hbefore and after consonants was pronounced likech,asfuhs,fox,naht,night,bevëlhen,to confide.In other cases it had the same sound as thehin Englishhat.
jhad nearly the same sound as theyin Englishyet, asjār,year,junc,young;blüejen,to blossom.
qoccurred only in combination withuas in English, asquëc,quick, alive,quëden,to say.
rwas a trilled sound in all positions like Scotchr, asrōt,red,hart,hard,bërn,to bear,vater,father.
swas a lenis medially between vowels and probably also initially before vowels, but a fortis in other positions, assun,son,wësen,to be, pret.was,bresten,to burst. It may be pronounced like thesin Englishsit.
schwas like theshin Englishship, asschif,ship,geschëhen,to happen,visch,fish.
vwas a voiceless lenis, and may be pronounced like thevin NHG.voll. Seef.
wwas pronounced like thewin Englishwet, aswīn,wine,bliuwen,to strike.
zandȥwere not distinguished in MHG. manuscripts, both being writtenz. Bothzandȥ(butȥȥmedially between vowels when the first vowel was short) arose from Germanict(see§23).zhad the sound-value ofts(= NHG.z): (a) always initially, aszīt,time; (b) medially and finally after consonants (l,m,n,r), asholz(gen.holzes),wood,hërze,heart,smërze,pain,ganz,whole; (c) finally after vowels (= Germanictt) in those words which change finalztotzwhen it becomes medial, asschaz(gen.schatzes), OE.sceatt,money, treasure. MHG. intervocalictzalways arose from oldertt, assetzen= OE.settan,to set.ȥwas a kind of lispedsand only occurred medially between and finally after vowels, asbīȥen,to bite,ëȥȥen,to eat,haȥ,hatred. It should be noted that good MHG. poets never rhymed pairs of words likewas,was, andwaȥ,what;missen,to miss, andwiȥȥen,to know.
phandpfrepresent the same sound, viz. thepfin NHG.pfund,pound.