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The nasal vowels in Old Norse
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Nasality in Proto Germanic
Nasality in Proto Norse Nasal vowels in Old Norse
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Explanations and abbreviations
(R) = Runic evidence (FG) = First grammatical treatise ö = Old Norse umlauted a ǫ = nasal o v̨, vN = nasal vowel v̄, v́ = long vowel OHG = Old High German OS = Old Saxon LG = Low German OE = Old English OD = Old Danish OI = Old Icelandic
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What Antonsens derives from the elder futhark
ᚨ /a, ā/, ᛖ /e, ē/, ᛁ /i, ī/, ᛟ /o, ō/, ᚢ /u, ū/, ᚨᛁ /ai/, ᚨᚢ /au/, ᛖᚢ /eu/, ᛁᚢ /iu/
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What Bjarne Sandgaard says about the vowels in Proto-Germanic
Vowels in initial and medial syllable e, a, i, u, ē/ǣ, ē2, ō, ī, ū, ai, iu, au Vowels in final syllable: a, aN, i, ī, iN, u, uN, ē, ēN, ē̃, ō, ōN, ō̃, ū, æ, ai, au, ōi, iu, ōu
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Vowels in standardized Old Norse
a, á, é, e, i, í, o, ó, u, ú, y, ý, æ, œ, ø, ǫ/ö (umlauted a)
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Vowels in the Elfdalian alfabet
- a, ą e ę i į o u ų y y̨ å ą̊ ä ö
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First syllable before a nasal consonant
Runic Old Icelandic Elfdalian West Germanic Gothic meaning Ą̄mōða (x 2) Ámóða Ą̄munda (x 2) Ámunda ąn (x 25) á ą̊ ana (OHG) ana ’on’ ąnd / ö̃nd, ąnda, ąndinni (x 36) önd, anda ąnda antin (OHG) ’soul’ Ąndswarr (x 1) Andsvarr Ąndwétt, Ąndwéttr (x 2) Andvétt, Andvéttr ąnnąn, ąnnarr (x 4) annan -ąnąn anderan (OHG) anþarana ’other’ ąnnart (x 1) annart ą̄n (x 1) án ’without' Ą̄ni (x 1) Áni Ą̄nund Ą̄nundr Ą̄nundaʀ (x 12) Önund Önundr Önundar bry̨nna börnen (LG) ’give cows water
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First syllable before a nasal consonant
Dąnmarku (x 1) Danmörku Denemarca (OHG) ’Denmark’ dræ̨ngi, dræ̨ng (x 2) drengi, dreng drąingg ’warrior’ Fąnn (x 1) fann fand (OS) fanþ ’found’ Finląndi (x 1) Finlandi ’Finland’ frąmėr ’brazen’ frą̄nmąna (x 1) fránmana ’brave men’ fræ̨nda (x 2) frænda frænde friund (OS) frijōnds ’kin’ Garðstąngum (x 1) Garðstöngum ’pole’ gąmall (x 1) gamall gåmål gamal (OHG) ’old’ hąmri, -hąmbri (x 2) hamri ’hammer’ hąn, hąnum, hąns (x 42) hann, hans ąn, - ’he, him, his’ Hæ̨mingR (x 1) Hemingr Haming Kąnp (x 1) Kanp ’mustache’ Jamtaląnd (x 1) Jamtaland ’Jamtland’
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First syllable before a nasal consonant
kwąn (x 1) kwanaʀ (x 1) kván kvánar quena (OS, OHG) (< kwenōn) qina (< *kwenōn) ’woman’ kwą̄mu (x 1) kvámu kąmu quamon (OHG) qamun ’came’ ląnd-, ląndi (x 2) land, landi ląnd land ’land’ mąn (x 1) mann mąn mannan ’man’ mąnr (x 2) maðr / mannr man manna -mąną, -mąna, mąnni (x 4) manna, manni manne Mąnni/ Mą̄ni (x1) Manna / máni Manno (OHG) mąnnum (x 1) mönnum ’men’ mįnna minnian (OS) ’remind’ mǫna ’would not’ mø̨nde ’would’ rąmr ’husky’ Rąndr (x 1) Randr Rąndi (x 1) Randvé Rando Rąnwæig (x 1) Ranveig
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First syllable before a nasal consonant
rųnar rūna (oht.) rūnos ’runes’ sąmąn (x 1) saman sųmmu Sąndūlfr (x 1) Sandúlfr sąnd sand (os.) ’sand’ Skąnøy (x 1) Skaney stąnda, stąndi (x 3) standa, standi stąnda standan (os.) standan ’stand’ strąndu (x 1) ströndu stæ̨iną, stæ̨in (x 2) steina stįena steinā/ -a (oht.) staínans ’stone’ stȳrimąns (x 1) stýrimans ’captain’ sy̨na ’show’ Tafæistaląndi (x 1) Tafeistalandi þąnn (x 4) þann dan-dar thena (oht.) þana ’that’
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First syllable before a nasal consonant
þąną, þąna (x 7) þenna ’this’ þąnsi, (x 48) uę̄nesc ’get used to’ uǭn ’expected’ ūʀgrąndaʀi (x 1) ørgrandari ’hard rule’ wēttwąngi (x 1) véttvangi ’battlefield’ Æistmąnn (x 1) Eistmann Æ̨nglandi (x 3) Englandi Ænglaland (OE) ’England’
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First syllable before a nasal consonant
Ą̄mōða (R), Ą̄munda (R), sąmąn (R), rąmr (FG) - Nasalization before m - Proof of nasal variant of short and long a stæ̨iną, fræ̨nda, Hæ̨mingR, dræ̨ng - Proof of nasal æi and æ - Nasalization before n ąnd / ǫ̈nd Suggestion of nasal ö (umlauted a)
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First syllable before a nasal consonant
mįnna (FG), mǫna (FG), uǭn (FG), mø̨nde (FG), rųnar, sy̨na (FG) , bry̨nna (FG), uę̄nesc (FG) - Futher proof of nasalization before n - Proof of nasal i, o, ō, ø, u, y, ē
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First syllable before a nasal consonant
Finląndi (R), frą̄nmąna (R), Garðstąngum (R), ląndmąnna (R), Tafæistaląndi (R), wēttwąngi (R), Æistmąnn (R) - Proof of nasalization in second element of compounds
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First syllable before a nasal vowel
What nasal vowels are found in the runic data and first grammatical treatise: ą, ą̄, į, ǫ, ǭ, y̨̨, æ̨, ø̨, ǫ̈? - Nasalization of vowels occur before n and m just like in Elfdalian. Also in the second element of compounds
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First syllable after nasal consonant
Runic Old Icelandic Elfdalian West Germanic Gothic meaning ną̄s nás ’corpse’ nǣ̨tu nǽtr nętär naht- (OHG) naht- ’nights’ mą̄ (x 2) má mą̊ mah (OS) ’able to’
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First syllable after nasal consoant
-Proof of ǣ̨, ą̄ -Proof of nasalization of long vowels after nasal consonant just like in Elfdalian
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First syllable without nasal consonant
Runic Old Icelandic Elfdalian West Germanic Gothic meaning Ąwarkar (x 1) Áverkar ą̄ (x 51) á (oi.) ą̊ ana (OHG) ana ’on’ Ą̄sa, Ą̄su (x 10) Ása, Ásu Asa (OHG) Ą̄sbjörn (x 11) Ásbjörn Ą̄sbōð (x 3) Ásbóð Ą̄sfrīðr (x 3) Ásfríðr Ansfrid (OHG) Ą̄sgautr, Ą̄sgauts, Ą̄sgaut (x 12) Ásgautr, Ásgauts, Ásgaut Ansegaud (OHG) Ą̄sgerði (x 1) Ásgerði ans- (OHG) Ą̄sgunnr (x1) Ásgrunnr Ansegunde Ą̄sgæiʀʀ, Ą̄sgæiʀs (x 3) Ásgeirr Ansigar (OHG)
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First syllable without nasal consonant
Ą̄slak, Ą̄slakʀ (x 3) Áslak, Áslakr Ą̄slæikiʀ (x 1) Ásleikr Ą̄smund, Ą̄smundr (x 15) Ásmund, Ásmundr Ansemund (OHG) Ą̄skel (x 3) Áskel Ą̄skil (x 1) Ą̄skatla (x 1) Áskatla Ą̄slæik (x 1) Ásleik Ą̄sta (x 1) Ásta Ą̄straðr (x 2) Ástraðr Anstrad (OHG) Ą̄sti (x 1) Ásti Ą̄striðr (x 1) Ástriðr Ą̄striði (x 1) Ástriði Ą̄swar Ásvör
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First syllable without nasal consonant
Ą̄swið, Ą̄swiðaʀ (x 2) Ásvið, Ásviðar Ą̄sulvR (x 2) Ásulfr Ą̄sur, Ą̄suraR (x 5) Özur, Özurar Ansuar (OHG) Ą̄waiʀ (x 1) Ávarr ąftiʀ (x 9) eptir etter aftar (OS) aftaro ’after’ frą frą̊ ’from’ fę̄r ’lamb’ Frąkka (x 1) Frakka (OI), Fraki (OD.) Franki (OD) Fracko (OHG) Gą̄sa (x 1) Gása Hą̄islaʀ (x 1) Háislar Hą̄kon (x 2) Hákon Hancwin (OHG) hąr ’shark’ ǫrar ųer unsēr (OHG) unsar ’our’ rǫ rå ’corner of house’ ræ̨isa (x 1) reisa rǣran (OE) urraisjan ’set upright’
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First syllable without nasal consonant
Sąsgærðr (x 1) Sasgerðr twą̄ (x 6) tvá tųæ twēna (os.) twans ’two’ þąsa / þąsi (x 2) akk.sg.f. þessa isa, dą̊-dar these (os.) ’this’ þąisi (x 1) akk.pl.m. isa ’these’ þą̄ (x 3) þá dą̊ than (os.) þan ’then’ þęl dāha (oht.) þāho ’file’ Þorfąstr Þorfastr þųat ’beaten’ Wīfąstr Véfastr ø̨ra Jung (oht.) juggs ’younger’
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First syllable after nasal consoant
-Proof of ą̄, ą, ę, ę̄, ǫ, ø̨, į, æ̨, ǫ, ǭ -Proof of Proto-Norse VNs > V̨̄s as in Ą̄s- (R) < *ansuz, þą (R) < *þans. Compare Elfdalian, gą̊s < *gans-, ą̊s < *amsa- -Proof of Proto-Norse Vnz > V̨̨̄̄r as in ǫrar (FG) < *unzer-, compare Elfdalian ųer. - Proof of Proto-Germanic Vnh > V̨ as in hąr < *hanhaz (FG), rǫ < (FG) < *wranhō, þęl (FG) < *þinhilō, Hą̄islaʀ (R) < *hanha-. Compare Elfdalian gą̊tt < *ganhtiz, ką̊t < *kanhtaz, tą̊t < *þanhtuz, gęta < *ga-anhatjanaN, gą̊ < *ga-anhēnaN. - Note: the elfdalian examples are taken fromm Kroonen 2011
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First syllable without nasal consoant
- Proof of Proto-Norse Vnk > V̨kk as in Frąkka (R) < *Frank-, compare Elfdalian okkel < *ankulaz , bokke <*bankan, blokk < *blankaz, tokk < *þankō. - Proof of loss of m or n gives nasalization: þą̄ (R), ą̄ (R), frą (FG), compare Elfdalian dą̊ < *þan, ą̊, frą̊ < *fram -Proof of Proto-Germanic nasal ō survival: þąsa / þąsi < *þōN (feminin, accusative, singular of sā). Compare Elfdalian dą̊-dar < *þān (Proto Dalecarlian). þąsa / þąsi found in: Sigriðr gærði bro þąsi (Sö 101) Ranwæik á kistu þąsa (N 541) Elfdalian examples from Guus Kroonen 2011
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First syllable without nasal consoant
- Wīfąstr and Þorfąstr may be spelling errors, but they may also be evidence of an unvoiced Werner of *fangst thus, a form *fanhst can be reconstructed, and we have proof of nasal vowels in second element of compounds without nasal consonant preserved. - ąftiʀ with a nasal a is attested nine times in Sweden, but since the word is aftaro in Gothic we can see that there was no nasal consonant in the past, thus we may have nine example of spelling errors, or proof of nasalization from nothing in the swedish dialect of Old Norse. - Suggestion of parastic nasalization before s in ræ̨isa ‘set upright’, a process which also seems to happen in Elfdalian, for example rįesa ‘to travel’.
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Second syllable before nasal cosonant
Runic Old Icelandic Elfdalian West Germanic Gothic meaning ąnąn (x 3) annan -ąnąn anderan (OHG) anþarana ’other’ falwąn (x 1) falvan ’dead’ fæigjąn (x 1) feigjan fiegąn gōðąn (x 10) góðan gōdan (OS) goþana ’good’ Hālfdąn (x 3) Hálfdan Kwikwąn (x 1) Kvikván sjālvąn (x 2) sjálfan selban (OHG) silbana ’self’ sīðąn (x 1) síðan ’since’ ūhæimskąn (x 1) úheimskan -iemskąn ’wise‘ rēttąn (x 1) réttan retta rihtian (OS) garaihtjan ’place’
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Second syllable before nasal cosonant
- Proof of nasalization in second syllable before n just like in Elfdalian - Further proof of nasal a
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Second syllable after nasal consonant
Runic Norrønt Elvdalsk Vestgermansk Gotisk Betydning Ārną Árna (oi.) Brūną Brúna GuðbjarnąR Guðbjarnar Gunną, Gunnąr (x 2 Gunna (oi.) Gundon (OHG) hennąR hennar ’her’ Holmą Holma Hræbną (x 1) Hrefna (oi.) koną (x 1) kona (oi.) quena (OS, OHG) qina ’wife, woman’ kristną (x 2) kristna (oi.) kristna -ans ’christian komą koma kumå qeman (OHG.) qiman ’come’ kwenną kvenna kwinna quenono (OS) qinono ’woman’ -mąną (x 2) manna manne' ’man’ rūnąʀ (x 13) rúnar rūna (OHG) rūnos ’runes’ sīną (x 13) sína sąina, sąin sīnan (OHG) seinana ’her, his stæiną (x 10) steina (oi.) stįena steinā/ -a (OHG) staínans ’stone’ suną sona ’son’ Tumą (x2) Tuma Tumo (OHG) þąną, þeną (x 59) þenna (oi.) ’that’
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Second syllable after nasal consonant
- Further proof of nasal a - Proof of nasalization of short vowels after nasal m and n: Holmą, koną
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Second syllable without nasal consonant
Runic Old Icelandic Elfdalian West Germanic Gothic meaning DjūRą (x 1) Djúra harðą (x 1) harða -ō ’very’ fēlagą (x 1) félaga -an ’friend, partner’ knūą, knýją (x 1) knúa / knýja knų̄ga, knjų̄ga cnūwian (OE) ’squeeze’ rēttą (x 1) rétta retta rihtian (OS) garaihtjan ’place’ rōą (x 1) róa ruowa (OHG) ’silence’ ræisą (x 1) reisa rįesa urraisjan ’raise,’ standą (x 1) standa standan (OS) standan ’stand
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Second syllable without nasal consonant
- Further proof of nasal a - Proof of nasalization of vowel through loss of final n, as we see in standą ‘to stand’ < *standanaN which we also see in Elfdalian sją̊ ‘to see’ * < *seą < *sehwanaN - Spelling error in harþą ‘very’ with adverbial ending from Proto Germanic *-ōt. Also spelling error in rōą ‘silence’
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Loss of n before l and r, and mp > pp
-In Old Norse we see that Proto-Norse ln and rn became l and r, but Elfdalian has shows signs of nasalization. -tųos-dag ’torsdag’ < *þunra- < *þunara- og mǫ́l ”manke” < *manla- < *manala-. In some cases Proto-Norse mp yields pp, as we see in *swampuR ‘mushroom‘ > Elfdalian svopp. Also here Elfdalian shows sign of nasalization. -Note: This is taken from Kroonen 2011
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Nasality in Proto-Germanic
- The vowels must have been nasalized before the loss of the nasal consonant, we can therefore deduce that gą̊tt, ką̊t, gą̊, gęta, tą̊t, hąr, rǫ, þęl, þąsi / þąsa are evidence of Proto-Germanic ąnh, įnh, þōN - Suggests that we have nasalization of vowels before n also in Proto-Germanic
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Nasality in Proto-Norse
By the same logic as with Proto-Germanic, the vowels must have been nasalized before the loss of the nasal consonant. Thus from the procces VNs > V̨̄s, Vnz > V̨̄r and Vnk > V̨kk, Vnl > V̨l and Vnr > V̨r , we have evidence that a, ā, u, i, ō was nasal before m and n. And also nasal a and i, inherited from Proto-Germanic ąnh, įnh, þōN
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The Nasel vowels in Old Norse
-From all of the words in the tables, we can deduce the following vowels: ą, ą̄, ę, ę̄, į, ǫ, ǭ, y̨, ȳ̨, æ̨, ǣ̨, ø̨, ǫ̈, æ̨i The Elfdalian evidence concord well with the runic evidence and with the evidence from the first grammatical treatise. If we ignore the lenght of the vowels, every single nasal variant of every vowel has been attested. Only the dipthtongs au and ey are not attested, but it would be odd if they wasen’t nasalized too. I conclude these are the nasal vowels in Old Norse: ą, ą̄, ę, ę̄, į, ǫ, ǭ, y̨, ȳ̨, æ̨, ǣ̨, ø̨, ǫ̈, *ąu, *æ̨i, *ęy Thank you.
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Literature Antonsen, Elmer H. (1975). A Concise Grammar of the Old Runic Inscriptions. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag. Hansen, Bjarne Simmelkjær Sandgaard (2012). Gotisk. Kompendium til studerende på BA og BA-tilvalg i Indoeuropæisk, forårssemestret Københavns Universitet. Kroonen, Guus (2011). On the origins of the Elfdalian nasal vowels from the perspective of diachronic dialectology and Germanic etymology. PowerPoint-præsentation fra “Nordiska språk - forskarseminarium”, Lunds universitet, 19. oktober URL: Noreen, A De nordiska språkens nasalerade vocaler. In: Arkiv for nordisk filologi Rapport från Oðer råðstemną um övdalskų, Andra konferensen om älvdalska (2011) Williams, H Åsrunan, Användning och ljudvärde i runsvenska steninskrifter. Uppsala: Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för nordiska språk.
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