LL-L "Phonology" 2004.03.29 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 29.MAR.2004 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Phonology

Folks I'd like to reconnect with the thread Heiko started on March 20, 2004.

> From: Heiko Evermann <Heiko.Evermann at gmx.de>
> Subject: Copenhagen/Koebenhavn
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> For the name of the Danish capital we have two very different forms:
> 1) the Danish (original) Form: København.
> 2) the English form: Copenhagen, or in German: Kopenhagen.
>
> (For the origin of København, I have heard that the first part means
> merchant, and the second means harbour.)
>
> The strange thing about the name is the change from v to g, which is
> highly unusual.
>
> Does anyone know how to explain this?
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Heiko Evermann
>
> ----------
>
> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Phonology
>
> Moyen, Heiko!
>
> > The strange thing about the name is the change from v to g, which is
> > highly unusual.
>
> It isn't as unusual as you may think.  Within the West Germanic group it
is
> not prevalent, though there are instances such as Lowlands Saxon (Low
> German) _blau_ ~ _blaag_ (and Dutch _blauw_) 'blue'.
>
> When it comes to this phenomenon, you need to throw /v/ and /w/ into one
> category.  (In such cases they may even be allophones.)
>
> This alternation between /g/ and /v~w/ is quite noticeable within the
North
> Germanic group.  Note for example Danish _dag_ being pronounced [da:G] ~
> [da:w] etc. (hence the spelling <Dau> or <Daw> in Jutish).  Note also the
> word for 'sea' or 'ocean' in North Germanic: Swedish _hav_, Danish _hav_
> ([haw]), Norwegian _hav_, Icelandic _haf_, Old Norse _haf_, versus the
word
> for 'pasture' or 'garden': Swedish _hage_, Danish _have_ (['ha:və]),
> Norwegian _hage_, Icelandic _hagi_, Old Norse _hagi_, and now compare
these
> with West Germanic cognates such as German _Hag_, Dutch/LS _haag_ and
> English _haw_!
>
> This /g/ ~ /v~w/ alternation is very prevalent in other language groups
and
> families, such as in Turkic and other Altaic languages, where /w/
frequently
> alternates with uvular (postvelar) /G/; e.g., _taG_ ~ _taw_ ~ _tau_
> 'mountain'.  I think this has something to do with a tendency toward lip
> rounding while pronouncing voiced velars and uvulars in some language
> varieties.
>
> However, note the very word for 'harbor' in North Germanic: Swedish
_hamn_,
> Danish _havn_ ([haw|n]), Dano-Norwegian _havn_, Icelandic _höfn_, Old
Norse
> _hǫfn_.  Not a /g/ in sight!  I often wonder if _Kopenhagen_ is derived
from
> foreign, perhaps Middle Saxon, reanalysis of _havn_ 'harbor' as _hag-en_
> 'the _hag_ (haw?)'.
>
> Regards,
> Reinhard/Ron

Alternation between /g/ and /v/ or /w/ is really not uncommon among the
Germanic languages.  Within this group, and perhaps universally, /g/ is
somewhat "illusive" in that it likes to surface in the "guise" of _v_ ~ _w_
and _j_ (= _y_), mostly as a result of "attraction," i.e., labial and
palatal assimilation.

The latter shift can also be observed in the shift from /gii/ (<gij>, <gy>,
<gie>) to /jii/ (Lowlands Saxon and Western Flemish <jie>) > /jai/ (Dutch
<jij> > <je>), etc., not to forget English and Scots <ye>, for the 2nd
person plural pronoun.  Most Lowlands Saxon ("Low German") varieties are
fairly resistant to this shift, though their eastern varieties (as well as
those of German) have not been.  In the latter, /g/ consistently changes to
[j], probably due to Slavonic substrates, possibly also reinforced by
Flemish immigrants' influences.

The word group "fly" is a one of those that represents both shifts: /g/ >
/w/~/v/ and /g/ > /j/:

Old English:
   verb: fléoƽan ~ flíoƽan - fléoƽ ~ flíoƽ ~ fléoh ~ flíoh - fluƽon
   noun: fléoƽe ~ flýƽe

Modern English:
   verb: fly - flew - flown
   noun: fly

Modern Scots:
   verb: flee - flaw ~ flew - floun
   noun: flee

Modern Icelandic:
   verb: fljúga - flýg / flaug - flaugum / floginn
   noun: fluga

Modern Danish:
   verb: flyve - fløj - fløjet
   noun: flue

As you can see, Modern English, Scots and Danish never phonetically realize
/g/ in this group, only the results of the shifts.

The North Saxon dialects of Lowlands Saxon (Low German), on the other hand,
are fairly conservative in this regard (and other phonological regards):

Modern Lowlands Saxon:
   verb: vleygen - vlöyg' - vlagen
   noun: vleyg'

German-based orthography:
   verb: flegen ~ fleigen - flöög(') ~ fleug - flagen ~ flogen
   noun: Fleeg(') ~ Fleig(')

Phonetic:
   verb: 'flɛˑɪɡŋ ~ 'flaˑɪɡŋ - flœːɪɣ ~ flœːɪj ~ flɔːɪj - 'flɒːɡŋ
   noun: flɛːɪ(ɣ) ~ flaːɪ(ɣ)

Eastern Lowlands Saxon:

Mennonite (Plautdietsch):
   verb: fleaje(n) - fluag - jefloage
   noun: Fleaje

German:

Modern Standard German:
   verb: fliegen - flog - geflogen
   noun: Fliege

Modern Eastern Yiddish:
   verb: flien - N/A - gefloygn
   noun: flig

Modern Eastern Yiddish (orthographic):
   verb: פֿליִען - N/A - געפֿלױגן
   noun: פֿליִג

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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