LL-L "Phonology" 2008.04.27 (02) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  - 27 April 2008 - Volume 02
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Phonology

Dear Lowlanders,

The vowel in a number of English words ending in "-ind" and "-ild" is
etymologically short but came to be lengthened at some point before long /i/
became the diphthong [aI]. (Remember that short /i/ did not undergo this
shift.) German, which also changed old long /i/ to [aI] (spelled
*ei*nowadays) did
*not* lengthen short /i/ in the cognates of said words.

So this shift happened for example in the following words:

*-ild*:

*child* < *childe* < *cild
**mild** < milde
*  O. Frisian *milde*
  O. German *milti* > *milde*
*wild* < *wilde
  *O. Frisian *wilde
  *O. Saxon *wildi* > *wild*
*  *O. German *wildi ~ wilti* > *wild*

*-ind, -int*:
*
*to *bind** < binde(n)* < *bindan
*  O. Saxon *bindan* > *binnen*
  O. German *bintan > binden*to
to *find* < *finde(n)* < *findan
*  O. Saxon *findan* > *finnen*
  O. German *fintan* > *finden*
*kind* < *gecynde* (i < ü; but no diphthong in related *kin *< *cyn*)
  O. Saxon *kind* > *Kind* ~ *Kinn* (child)
*  *O. German *kind *> *kint *> *Kind* (child)
*mind* < *gemynd* (< **gemynde*? - i < ü)
  O. German *minna* > *minne*
*rind** < rinde*
  O. Saxon *rinda* > *Rinn*
*  *O. German* rinta* ~ *rinda *> *Rinde*
*wind *< *winde(n)* < *windan
*  O. Frisian *winda
  *O. Saxon *windan* > *winnen*
  O. German *wintan* > *winden****
*
Dutch and Afrikaans, actually all other Germanic languages except Scots,
also have a short vowel in their cognates of the above.

Note also Old Norman* pinte* (< V. Latin *pincta*) > English *pint *(with a
diphthong).

Contrary examples with a short vowel:

*wind** < wind*
  O. Saxon *wind* > *Wind ~ Winn
  *O. German *wind* ~ *wint *> *Wind
**hint* < *hent

*I have a theory here and wonder if others agree.

Early English inherited the Saxon trait of lengthening vowels before
sonorants (which Low Saxon has spread to all contexts). Early English
specialized it in occurrences in which a high vowel* follows /l/ or /n/
preceded by /d/ or /t/. Apparently, this required a following /-e/ (which in
the case of the noun "wind" was missing). If this /-e/ was crucial, we can
pinpoint the era as being after the shift of final /-a/ to /-e/, namely to
mid to late Middle English, which is also when this diphthongization process
(/ii/ > [aI], /uu/ > [aU]) seems to have occurred.

*Since I said "high vowel," we ought to expect that it happened to /u/ as
well. And indeed, we have examples such as *hund* > "hound" and *pund* >
"pound", where there is a short vowel in cognates in other languages,
including German (which changed long /u/ to [aU] as English did). The same
applies to Old Norman *rounde* > "round" (but German *runt* > *rund*).

I would be interested in your thoughts.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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