LL-L 'Phonology' 2006.09.17 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
L O W L A N D S - L * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/index.php?page=rules
Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org or lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Commands ("signoff lowlands-l" etc.): listserv at listserv.net
Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]
=======================================================================
You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
=======================================================================
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 (Zeeuws)
=======================================================================

L O W L A N D S - L * 17 September 2006 * Volume 02
======================================================================

From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Phonology

Dear Lowlanders,

My question may come across as naive to so of you, but I'm going to ask it
anyway, partly because I would like to know the answer and partly because in my
experience simple questions are not always asked in expert circles.

I am wondering about the possible reasons for the Continental Germanic language
varieties -- the Lowlandic ones included -- have lost their old interdental
fricatives: /þ/ (as in "THird") and /ð/ (as in "THere").

Apparently this loss and replacement with /d/ (/t/ and /d/ in Frisian and Nordic)
occured in all or most Continental varieties from Northern Scandinavia to the
southern slopes of the Alps,* not in most insular varieties (such as British,
Faeroese and Icelandic).  Furthermore, this loss -- at least in written
representation -- seems to have occurred roughly with the transition from Old to
Middle varieties, approximately in the early part of the second millennium C.E.
In German (i.e., in the south) it happened already at a stage that we now
consider "Old."

[* It may be argued that Danish has preserved intervocalic and final /ð/ (written
_d_) or that intervocalic and final Danish /d/ has the allophone [ð]. Similar
arguments can be made with regard to _d_ ~ _ð_ in Älvdalsmål of Sweden; e.g.,
_glyödẽ_ ~ _glyöðę_ ["glj9De~] 'glowed', _guod_ ~ _guoð_ [gwoD] 'good', though
the fact that Älvdalsmål has preserved numerous ancient features may point toward
preservation of /ð/.]

Examples:

English: þu > thu ~ thou ~ -tu ~ -tou > thou (Scots thoo)
Frisian: thu > du
Saxon: thu > du > du
Norse: þú > du (Icel. þú)
German: thu ~ du > du > du

English: þing > thing > thing
Frisian: thing > ting
Saxon: thing > ding ~ dinc > ding
Norse: þing > ting (Icel. þing)
German: thing ~ ding ~ dinc > ding ~ dinc > Ding

English: bāðe > bothe ~ beath > both (Scots baith)
Saxon: bēðia > bēde > beyd(e)
Norse: báð- > båd- (Icel. báð-)
German: beide ~ bēde > bēde > beide

English: þrí > threy ~ three > three
Frisian: thri ~ thre- > tri
Saxon: thri- ~ thre- > drê > drey
Norse: þrí- > tre (Icel. þrí-)
German: drî ~ dri- > drî(e) > drei

What may have provoked this Continental shift, and why did this occur
Continent-wide and not on the more distant islands?  I wonder if it started in
German and spread from there.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

==============================END===================================
* Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
  to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at
  http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
======================================================================