A Middle High German Primer | Page 2

many details for beginners. I feel sure that the easiest and best way to acquire a thorough knowledge of Middle High German is to start with an elementary book like the present, and then to learn the details of the grammar, especially the phonology of the various dialects, from a more advanced work.
OXFORD: December, 1898.
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION
In the preparation of the new edition, I have steadily kept in view the class of students for whom the book was originally written. When the first edition appeared twenty-eight years ago, there were very few students in this country who took up the serious study of the older periods of the various Germanic languages at the Universities. In late years, however, the interest in the study of these languages has grown so much that Honour Courses and Examinations in them have been established at all our Universities. The result is that a book even intended for beginners can now reasonably be expected to be of a higher standard than the previous editions of this Primer. The grammatical introduction has accordingly been entirely rewritten and expanded to more than twice its original size. The texts have also been nearly doubled by the addition of eighteen poems from Walther von der Vogelweide, and selections from Reinmar, Ulrich von Lichtenstein, and Wolfram von Eschenbach.
The greater part of Middle High German literature is so excellent and interesting that most students, who have mastered the grammatical introduction and read the texts in the Primer, will doubtless desire to continue the subject. Such students should procure a copy of either the Mittelhochdeutsche Grammatik by Hermann Paul, eighth edition, Halle, 1911, or the Mittelhochdeutsches Elementarbuch by Victor Michels, second edition, Heidelberg, 1912, where the Grammar, especially the phonology and syntax, can be studied in greater detail. They should also procure a copy of the Mittelhochdeutsches Taschenw[o:]rterbuch by Matthias Lexer, tenth edition, Leipzig, 1910, and also have access to the two standard Middle High German dictionaries-- Mittelhochdeutsches W[o:]rterbuch mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Georg Friedrich Benecke, ausgearbeitet von Wilhelm M[u:]ller und Friedrich Zarncke, drei B[a:]nde, Leipzig, 1854-61, and Mittelhochdeutsches W[o:]rterbuch, von Matthias Lexer, zugleich als Supplement und alphabetischer Index zum Mittelhochdeutschen W[o:]rterbuch von Benecke-M[u:]ller-Zarncke, drei B[a:]nde, Leipzig, 1872-78. An excellent bibliography of the best editions of the Middle High German texts-- classified according to the dialects in which they were written-- will be found on pp. 20-35 of Michels' Elementarbuch.
May the new edition of the Primer continue to further the study of the subject in the future to the same extent as it has done in the past!
JOSEPH WRIGHT.
OXFORD, October, 1916.

CONTENTS
Pages
INTRODUCTION ... 1
The classification of the MHG. dialects (Sec. 1).
CHAPTER I
The Vowels ... 2-22
The MHG. alphabet (Sec. 2). Pronunciation of the MHG. vowels (Sec. 3). Phonetic survey of the MHG. vowel-system (Sec. 4). The OHG. equivalents of the MHG. vowels (Sec. 5). The characteristic differences between OHG. and MHG. (Sec. 6). The weakening of unaccented vowels (Secs. 7-8). The loss of unaccented vowels (Sec. 9). Umlaut (Sec. 10). The MHG. equivalents of the OHG. vowels (Sec. 11). Ablaut (Sec. 12). Other vowel changes (Secs. 13-18).
CHAPTER II
The Consonants ... 22-35
Pronunciation of the consonants (Secs. 19-20). Phonetic survey of the MHG. consonants (Sec. 21). Characteristic differences between High German and the other West Germanic languages (Sec. 22). The High German sound-shifting (Secs. 23-7). The interchange between {pf, b} and {f}; {k, g} and {h}; {[zz], [z]} and {ss, s} (Sec. 28). The loss of the guttural nasal {[ng]} (Sec. 29). Verner's Law (Sec. 30). The doubling of consonants (Sec. 31). The simplification of double consonants (Sec. 32). The interchange between the lenes and the fortes (Sec. 33). Interchange between medial {h} and final {ch} (Sec. 34). Initial and medial {j} (Sec. 35). Medial and final {w} (Sec. 36). The loss of intervocalic {b, d, g} (Sec. 37). The loss of intervocalic {h} (Sec. 38). The loss of final {r} (Sec. 39). The change of medial {t} to {d} after nasals and {l} (Sec. 40).
CHAPTER III
Declension of Nouns ... 36-46
Introductory remarks (Sec. 41). A. The vocalic or strong declension:-- Masculine nouns (Secs. 42-5); Neuter nouns (Secs. 46-7); Feminine nouns (Secs. 48-9). B. The weak declension (Secs. 50-3). C. Declension of proper names (Sec. 54).
CHAPTER IV
Adjectives ... 46-52
A. The declension of adjectives (Secs. 55-6). B. The comparison of adjectives (Secs. 57-9). C. The formation of adverbs from adjectives (Secs. 60-1). D. Numerals (Secs. 62-4).
CHAPTER V
Pronouns ... 53-57
Personal (Sec. 65). Reflexive (Sec. 66). Possessive (Sec. 67). Demonstrative (Sec. 68). Relative (Sec. 69). Interrogative (Sec. 70). Indefinite (Sec. 71).
CHAPTER VI
Verbs ... 57-75
Classification of MHG. verbs (Sec. 72). A. Strong verbs:-- The conjugation of the model strong verb {n[e:]men} (Secs. 73-4). Class I (Secs. 76-7). Class II (Secs. 78-80). Class III (Sec. 81). Class IV (Sec. 82). Class V (Secs. 83-4). Class VI (Secs. 85-6). Class