LL-L "Orthography" 2002.07.09 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 09.JUL.2002 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Web Site: <http://www.sassisch.net/rhahn/lowlands/>
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Orthography

Roman,

As a footnote to my response to your question about umlauting, please
let me add (assuming you don't already know) that the two dots
symbolizing umlauting (ä, ö, ü) were derived from a small "e" written
above a letter, thus signaling frontal pronunciation (like "e") of the
respective vowels (a, o, u).

You can see this small "e" in German and Lowlands Saxon (Low German)
(perhaps also Old Limburgish?) documents from the late Middle Ages
(assumedly the beginning of umlauting) till the eighteenth century, even
still later, in some "fancy" fonts and calligraphy even in the 20th
century.

Thus, originally at least, the umlaut symbol was unrelated to the
dieresis (Dutch ë, French ë, ï, Spanish & Portuguese ü) that signals
pronunciation separate from the directly preceding or following vowel.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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