A Middle High German Primer | Page 4

+ e gr[u:]e[z]en, to greet. uo = u + o bruoder, brother.
To the above list should be added the MHG. {e} in 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. {hab[e]n}, to have, {sc[o]n[i]}, beauty, {salb[o]n}, to anoint, {zung[u]n}, tongues = MHG. {haben}, {sch[oe]ne}, {salben}, {zungen}. The {e} in this position was pronounced like the {-e} in NHG. {zunge}, {name}, {friede}, &c.
PHONETIC SURVEY OF THE MHG. VOWEL-SYSTEM.
Sec. 4.
Palatal { Short [a:], [e:], e, i, [o:], [u:]. { Long [ae], [e], [i], [oe], iu (= [u:]).
Guttural { Short a, o, u. { Long [a], [o], [u].
THE OHG. EQUIVALENTS OF THE MHG. VOWELS.
Sec. 5.
The following are the OHG. equivalents of the MHG. short vowels, long vowels and diphthongs of accented syllables:--
1. The short vowels a, [e:], e, i, o, u = the corresponding OHG. short vowels, as {tac}, day, {gast}, guest, {bant}, he bound, {gap}, he gave = OHG. {tag}, {gast}, {bant}, {gab}.
{w[e:]c}, way, {n[e:]men}, to take, {z[e:]hen}, ten = OHG. {w[e:]g}, {n[e:]man}, {z[e:]han}.
{geste}, guests, {lember}, lambs, {vert}, he goes = OHG. {gesti}, {lembir}, {ferit}.
{wi[zz]en}, to know, {hilfe}, I help, {visch}, fish = OHG. {wi[zz]an}, {hilfu}, {fisk}.
{got}, God, {wol}, well, {geholfen}, helped = OHG. {got}, {wola}, {giholfan}.
{sun}, son, {wurm}, worm, {gebunden}, bound = OHG. {sunu}, {wurm}, {gibuntan}.
{[a:]} is the umlaut of {a} before certain consonant combinations which prevented umlaut from taking place in OHG., as {m[a:]hte}, powers, {h[a:]ltet}, he holds, {w[a:]rmen}, to warm = OHG. {mahti}, {haltit}, {warmen} from {*warmjan} (Sec. 10). It also occurs in derivatives ending in {-l[i]ch} and {-l[i]n}, as {m[a:]nl[i]ch}, manly, {t[a:]gel[i]ch}, daily, {v[a:]terl[i]n}, dim. of {vater}, father; and in words which originally had an {i} in the third syllable, the vowel of the second syllable having become {i} by assimilation, as {m[a:]gede}, maids, {z[a:]her(e)}, tears = OHG. {magadi}, {zahari}.
{[o:]} is the umlaut of OHG. {o}, as {l[o:]cher}, holes, {m[o:]hte}, I might = OHG. {lohhir}, {mohti}; {g[o:]tinne}, goddess, beside {got}, God.
{[u:]} is the umlaut of OHG. {u}, as {d[u:]nne}, thin, {s[u:]ne}, sons, {z[u:]ge}, I might draw = OHG. {dunni}, {suni}, {zugi}.
2. The long vowels [a], [e], [i], [o], [u] = the corresponding OHG. long vowels, as {s[a]t}, seed, {sl[a]fen}, to sleep, {n[a]men}, we took, {d[a]hte}, he thought = OHG. {s[a]t}, {sl[a]fan}, {n[a]mum}, {d[a]hta}.
{s[e]le}, soul, {m[e]re}, more, {l[e]ren}, to teach = OHG. {s[e]la}, {m[e]ro}, {l[e]ren}.
{w[i]p}, wife, {s[i]n}, his, {b[i][z]en}, to bite = OHG. {w[i]b}, {s[i]n}, {b[i][z]an}.
{[o]re}, ear, {t[o]t}, death, {k[o]s}, I chose = OHG. {[o]ra}, {t[o]d}, {k[o]s}.
{h[u]s}, house, {t[u]sent}, thousand, {d[u]hte}, it seemed = OHG. {h[u]s}, {d[u]sunt}, {d[u]hta}.
{[ae]} is the umlaut of OHG. {[a]}, as {l[ae]re}, empty, {n[ae]me}, thou tookest = OHG. {l[a]ri}, {n[a]mi}.
{[oe]} is the umlaut of OHG. {[o]}, as {sch[oe]ne}, beautiful, {h[oe]her}, higher, {h[oe]ren}, to hear = OHG. {sc[o]ni}, {h[o]hiro}, {h[o]ren} from {*h[o]rjan} older {*hausjan}.
iu = (1) OHG. {iu} (diphthong), as {liute}, people, {kiuset}, he chooses = OHG. {liuti}, {kiusit}.
= (2) the umlaut of OHG. {[u]}, as {hiuser}, houses, {briute}, brides = OHG. {h[u]sir}, {br[u]ti}.
3. The diphthongs ei, ou, uo = the corresponding OHG. diphthongs, as {bein}, 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) older {ia}, {ea, [e]} (Germanic {[e]}), as {hier}, here, {miete}, pay, reward, {gienc}, I went = OHG. {hier}, {mieta}, {gieng}.
= (2) OHG. {io} (Germanic {eu}), as {bieten}, to offer, {liep}, dear = OHG. {biotan}, {liob}.
= (3) the OHG. {io} which occurs in the preterite of the old reduplicated verbs whose presents have {ou}, {[o], uo} (Sec. 87), as inf. {loufen}, to run, {st[o][z]en}, to push, {ruofen}, to call, preterite {lief}, {stie[z]}, {rief} = OHG. {liof}, {stio[z]}, {riof}.
= (4) Upper German {iu} (OHG. {io}) before labials and gutturals, as {liup}, dear, {tiuf}, deep, {siuch}, sick, {liugen}, to tell a lie = {liep}, {tief}, {siech}, {liegen}.
{[o:]u} ({eu}) is the umlaut of OHG. {ou}, as {l[o:]uber}, leaves, {l[o:]ufel}, runner = OHG. {loubir}, {loufil}.
{[u:]e} is the umlaut of OHG. {uo}, as {gr[u:]ene}, green, {g[u:]ete}, goodness, {v[u:]ere}, thou didst go = OHG. {gruoni}, {guot[i]}, {fuori}.
UNACCENTED VOWELS AND UMLAUT.
Sec. 6.
The two most characteristic differences between OHG. and MHG. are: (1) the spread of umlaut (Sec. 10); (2) the weakening and partial loss of vowels in unaccented syllables.
1. THE WEAKENING OF UNACCENTED VOWELS.
Sec. 7.
The short vowels a, i, o, u, and the long vowels [e], [i], [o], [u] were weakened to {e}. This {e} was pronounced like the final {-e} in NHG. {leute}, see Sec. 3. Examples are:--
{g[e:]ba}, gift, {h[e:]rza}, heart, {zunga}, tongue, {taga}, days = MHG. {g[e:]be}, {h[e:]rze}, {zunge}, {tage}; {heilag}, holy, neut. {blinda[z]}, blind, {n[e:]man}, to take = MHG. {heilec}, {blinde[z]}, {n[e:]men}.
{kunni}, race, generation, {gesti}, guests = MHG. {k[u:]nne}, {geste}; {kuning}, king, {be[zz]isto},