A Middle High German Primer | Page 9

the various classes of strong verbs Secs. 76-86. Class VII of strong verbs embracing the old reduplicated verbs (Sec. 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.
Sec. 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.
Sec. 14.
[e:] (= Indo-Germanic e) became i in 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. +pente+, five. This explains why verbs like MHG. {binden}, to bind, {rinnen}, to run, {singen}, to sing, belong to the same ablaut-series as {h[e:]lfen}, to help, {w[e:]rden}, to become.
2. Before other consonants when followed by an {[)i]} or {j} in the next syllable, and further in OHG. when followed by an {u} in the next syllable, as OHG. MHG. {ist}, Gr. +esti+, is; OHG. {fihu}, Lat. {pecu}, cattle; {[e:]rde} (OHG. {[e:]rda}), earth, but {ird[i]n}, earthen; {ligen} (OHG. {liggen} from {*ligjan}), to lie down, {sitzen} (OHG. {sitzen} from {*sitjan}), to sit, but p.p. {gel[e:]gen} (OHG. {gil[e:]gan}), {ges[e:][zz]en} (OHG. {gis[e:][zz]an}). This explains why strong verbs belonging to the fourth (Secs. 12, 82) and fifth (Secs. 12, 83) ablaut-series have {i} throughout the present singular, and similarly in verbs belonging to the third (Secs. 12, 81) series with {[e:]} in the infinitive, as
OHG. n[e:]man, to take, three persons sing. nimu, nimis(t), nimit. MHG. n[e:]men, " " " " nime, nimes(t), nimet. OHG. g[e:]ban, to give, " " " gibu, gibis(t), gibit. MHG. g[e:]ben, " " " " gibe, gibes(t), gibet. OHG. h[e:]lfan, to help, " " " hilfu, hilfis(t), hilfit. MHG. h[e:]lfen, " " " " hilfe, hilfes(t), hilfet.
Sec. 15.
{u}, followed originally by an {[)a]}, {[)o]}, or {[e]} in the next syllable, became {o} when not protected by a nasal + consonant or an intervening {[)i]} or {j}; hence the interchange between {u} and {o} in the preterite plural and past participle of verbs belonging to the second ablaut-series (Secs. 12, 78), as {bugen} (OHG. {bugum}), we bent, p.p. {gebogen} (OHG. {gibogan}); in the p.p. of verbs belonging to the third ablaut-series (Secs. 12, 81), as {gebunden} (OHG. {gibuntan}), but {geholfen} (OHG. {giholfan}); in weak verbs as {f[u:]rhten} (OHG. {furhten} from {*furhtjan}), to fear, beside pret. {vorhte} (OHG. {forhta}); {h[u:]gen} (OHG. {huggen} from {*hugjan}) beside {hogen} (OHG. {hog[e]n}), to think; in preterite presents like {durfen} (OHG. {durfum}), we dare, beside pret. {dorfte} (OHG. {dorfta}); in many nouns and adjectives, as {wolle} (OHG. {wolla}), wool, beside {w[u:]ll[i]n}, {wull[i]n}, woollen; {wolf} (stem {*wulfo-}), wolf, beside {w[u:]lpinne}, she-wolf; {vol}, full, beside {v[u:]lle} (OHG. {full[i]}), fulness; {golt}, gold, beside {guld[i]n}, golden.
Sec. 16.
From primitive Germanic {eu} were developed two different diphthongs in OHG., viz. {eu} became {eo} (cp. Sec. 15), later {io}, when originally followed by an {[)a]}, {[)o]}, or {[e]} in the next syllable, and this {io} was regularly developed to {ie} in MHG.; whereas {eu} became {iu} in OHG. when originally followed by an {[)i], j} or {u} in the next syllable, and this {iu} became {[-u:]} (written {iu}) in MHG., even after the {[)i], j} or {u} had been weakened to {e}. This law explains the difference between the diphthong {ie} in the infinitive and the simple vowel {iu} (= {[-u:]}) in the three persons singular of the present indicative of verbs belonging to the second ablaut-series (Secs. 12, 78), as
OHG. biogan, to bend, pres. sing. biugu, biugis(t), biugit; MHG. biegen, " " " biuge, biuges(t), biuget.
Cp. further {tief} (OHG. {tiof}), deep, beside OHG. {tiuf[i]}, depth; {lieht} (OHG. {lioht}), a light, beside {liuhten} (OHG. {liuhten} from {*liuhtjan}), to light.
NOTE.--The {iu} in the above and similar examples must not be confounded with the {iu} in the OHG. and MHG. combination {iuw} which arose from prim. Germanic {eww} (= {euw}), and {ewj}, as {triuwe} (OHG. {triuwi}, Goth. {triggws}), true; {triuwen}, {tr[u]wen}, to trust, pret. {triuete}, {triute}, {tr[u]te}; {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. This {iu} before {w} never interchanged with MHG. {ie} from prim. Germanic {eu}, and explains why the strong verbs {bliuwen}, &c. have {iu} in all forms of the present.
Sec. 17.
Accented primitive Germanic {ai} (= Goth. {['a]i}) became {[e]} in OHG. before {r, w}, Germanic {h} (cp. Sec. 23, 1), and finally; in MHG. it appears also as {[e]} before the same consonants and finally, as {m[e]re}, {m[e]r} (OHG. {m[e]ro}, Goth. {m['a]iza}), more, {l[e]ren} (OHG. {l[e]ren}, Goth. {l['a]isjan}), to teach; {s[e]le} (OHG. {s[e]la}, older {s[e]ula}, Goth. {s['a]iwala}), soul; {sn[e]} (OHG. {sn[e]o}, Goth. {sn['a]iws}), snow, gen. OHG.