u as u in full. ú as oo in fool. The consonants are pronounced as in English, with the following exceptions : c is always hard like k; cw stands for qu, which was however used in later times. f between two vowels, or at the end of a syllable, sounds like v. g is never soft; when placed however between two of the vowels æ, e, i, or y, or at the beginning of a syllable before e or i, followed by another vowel, it has the sound of y.(') cg is usually written for gg. h is always strongly aspirated; at the end of a syllable or before a hard consonant it is guttural, like the G. ch, the S. ch in loch, and the Irish gh in lough. hw anwers to our wh; h occurs also before 1, n and r. w sometimes, as in E., stands before r; likewise before l. p (tha) is our hard th, as in thing, ₫ (eth) our soft th, as in other. þ usually begins, & ends a syllable, but they were and are often confounded. IV.-Spelling. The A. S. spelling was very variable; the following arethe commonest changes :— It is likely that g before e or i, and (like h) at the end of a syllable, was guttural, as it often is in German, and always in Dutch. á — and a - á; þám, þæm; þære, páre. æ a - ea; waldan, wealdan to wield, rule. ea e and e feala many; eá a; man, mon (2) man; on, an on. a; ceaster, cester (3) town; fela, é; teáh, téh drew. hyt it: him, heom them. í — ý, íe, eó; hí, hý, híe, heó they. eou, y, e; sweord, swurd sword; seolf, sylf, self self. eó -ú, ý; sweótol, swútol, swýtol manifest. g h; sorg, sorh care, sorrow. ng, nc, ngc; sang, sanc, sange song: n and g are often transposed, &c.; pegen, þegn, peng, þen servant, thane: g is sometimes added or cast off at the end of a word; as, hwý, hwýg why? hefig, hefi heavy it is often left out before d or d; mægden, mæden maiden, mægð, mæð tribe. cs, sc, hs, x; ácsian, áscian, áhsian, áxian to ask (ax).(1). V.-Change of Letters. Other changes of letters take place in inflection and derivation; the German synonyms often undergo the like, the English sometimes. a is changed into æ, and vice versa; grafan to grave, (G. graben); þú græfst thou gravest, (G. du gräbst); (2) P. mon for man, lang for long, and the like. (3) L. castra; hence Chester, -cester, &c. in local names. (*) See also nouns II. 2., and irregular comparison. bad bath, (G. bad); badu baths (G. bäder.) (1) a into e; man, man (G. mann); men (2) men (G. männer). á into æ; hál hale, whole, ge-hælan to heal. ea into e or y; neah nigh, nehst nyhst nighest, next. e, o, eo, u into i or y; ren rain, rinan to rain; storm storm (G. sturm); styrman to storm (G. stürmen); weore work (G. werk), wyrcan to work (G. wirken); hunger hunger, hyngrian to hunger. eá, eó, ú, into ý; leás loose, (G. los); a-lýsan to re-lease (G. er-lösen); neód need (G. noth); nýdan to force (G. nöthigen); scrúd shroud, scrýdan to shroud, ó into é; dóm doom, déman to deem, doom. bb into f; a-hebban to exalt, a-hafen exalted (4). c and cc into h; sécan to seek, ic sóhte I sought; feccan to fetch, (ge-)freht fretcht(5). g into h and vice versá; wrígan to cover, ic wráh 1 covered; beorh mountain, plur. beorgas(6). s into r(7); freósan to freeze, (ge-)froren frozen. ₫ into d(); snídan to cut (G. schneiden), sniden cut (G. ge-schnitten). Several other changes take place in the formation of imperfects I. 3. and complex; likewise in nouns II. 2., III. 1. 3. and in adjectives. (1) See Verbs II. 3., and Nouns III. 1. (2) See Nouns III. 2. See Verbs II. 3. (6) See Verbs III. 1,2. Nouns II. 2. (7) See Verbs III. 3. (3) See irregular comparison. (5) See Verbs I. 2, 3. (8) See Verbs Il. 1, and III. 2. VI.-Correspondence of Letters. Attention to the correspondence of A. S. with English and German letters helps not only to recognise words already known in a kindred tongue, but to settle their derivation, spelling, and quantity. Thus― á answers to E. long o ; G. ei, l, e; bán(9) bone, G. bein; máre (10) more, greater, G. mehr. eá to E. 1. e; G. 1. o, a, au: stream stream, G. strom; sceap sheep, G. schaf; ge-leáfa be-lief, G. g-laube. ea to E. short a, 1. o; G. s. a: scearp sharp, G. scharf; ceald cold, G. kalt. æ to E. and G. a, e: gæst guest, G. gast; fæst fast, G. fest. a to E. 1. e, a, o; G. 1. a, ei: sæd seed, G. saat; hær hair, G. haar; mást (11) most, G. meist. é to E. 1. e; G. 1. ü, ä: céne bold, keen, G. kühn; wénan to ween, imagine, G. wähnen. í to E. l. i; G. ei: síde side, G. seite. eo to E. a, o, u, e; G. e, ię : deorc dark, sweord sword, G. schwert; ceorl churl, G. kerl; feoll fell, G. fiel. ó to E. oo; G. 1. u: flór floor, G. flur, eó, eów to E. 1. e; G. 1. ie, eu; deóp deep, G. tief'; deor dear, G. theuer; cneów knee, G. knie. ú to E. ou, ow, oo; G. l. au, u: mús mouse, G. maus ; cú cow, G. kuh; rúm room, space, (9) S. bane. G. raum. (11) S. maist. ý to E. 1. i, e; G. 1. eu, au, ö: fýr fire, G. feuer; brýd bride, G. braut; hýran to hear, G. hören. c (before a soft vowel) to E. and G. ch, k: cyle chill, G. kühle; stician to stick, G. stechen. cc to E. tch, ck; G. ck: streccan to stretch, G. strecken; liccian to lick, G. lecken. sc to E. sh, sk; G. sch: scyld shield, G. schild; disc dish, table, G. tisch; tusc tush. g (before a soft vowel sometimes) to E. y, G. j: gear year, G. jahr; girstan-dæg yester-day. rands are often transposed: forst frost, G. frost ; bridd (young) bird; flacse flask, G. flasche. CHAPTER II. I.-Nouns. Gender. The genders, as in Greek, Latin, German, &c. are three, viz. neuter, masculine, feminine; the first two, as in those tongues, closely resembling each other, the last differing widely from both. A. S. nouns in general agree in gender with the corresponding German; as, Neuter: S wif G. weib woman, wife. Masculine: mona G. mond moon. Feminine: sunne G. sonne sun. The chief exceptions are :— Neut. eár G. ähre (f.) ear of corn. (f.) fastness. fyder G. feder (f.) feather, wing. |