I got difficulties in pronouncing words ending in 'w'.

[Eric Kinzel]

29. w (i. e. u in the function of a consonant) had mostly the same sound-value as the w in English wit. After diphthongs and long vowels, as also after consonants not followed by a vowel, it was probably a kind of reduced u-sound. the exact quality of which cannot be determined. Examples of the former pronunciation are :—wens, hope ; witan, to know; wrikan, to persecute; swistar, sister; taíhswō, right hand. And of the latter:—snáiws, snow ; waurstw, work; skađwjan, to overshadow.


from page 12 of Wright's Grammar of the Gothic Language (1910) 

 

http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kurisuto/germanic/goth_wright_about.html

 

Lambdin is kind of vague in his book.

 

I think Bennett has a good explanation, but my copy is at work - I like to read it during my lunch break.
 


To: gothic-l at yahoogroups.com
From: gadrauhts at hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 18:51:39 +0000
Subject: [gothic-l] Re: I got difficulties in pronouncing words ending in 'w'.

  



Could some one link to any site or make some quotes from a book where the pronunciations are explained?




 		 	   		  
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