Transcription of the Germanic languages

The transcription of the Germanic languages (or of the Germanists ) is a whole of symbols being used for the phonetic Transcription, phonological or philological of the Germanic Langues. Of this somewhat disparate set of symbols of which some are very old, together which is not formalized with the manner of the International Phonetic Alphabet (now API ), a certain number does not correspond for the use of the API one. One will restrict oneself here to indicate the most frequent or remarkable symbols. The uses suitable for the orthography, the transcription or the transliteration of certain languages will not be mentioned.

Origin and use

The Phonétique history of the Germanic languages was born at the 19th century with the discoveries from Jacob Grimm and Karl Verner (cf Loi of Grimm and Loi of Verner ). The reconstitution of the Proto-Germanic as well as the phonetic evolution of the old languages led to the increase in the Latin alphabet, unsuitable noting all the Germanic sounds.

To be done, it often has is enough to directly use the additional Lettres of the Latin alphabet invented by the medieval scribes, or rather borrowed from other writings, like the Runic alphabet. The importance of the English scribes is notable: it is indeed them which, as from the 8th century, used the Latin alphabet (imported by the Irish monks) in the place of the runes and supplemented it to note the sounds of the Vieil English, invented number of the new letters in question and founded uses which, for some, perdurent in the orthography of modern languages. As from the 11th century, the Romance influence of the Norman scribes (arrived to the United Kingdom after the Battle of Hastings) marked the language so much so that the old letters almost lost all, often replaced by Digramme S imitating those of the Continent ( ƿ replaced by uu then W , for example)

Other symbols noting of the sounds that the scribes did not distinguish with the writing were necessary to the modern linguists and were obtained either by modification of preexistent letters, or by the use of Diacritiques. Lastly, some signs are used only for the philological transliteration of the handwritten texts but are phonetically not useful.

Symbols

Vowels

æ = Ash

Letter resulting from a binding used in Old English as from the 8th century then in other Germanic languages (Danish, Icelandic…), it is at the origin of the symbol the API one but did not preserve itself in English, who replaced it by has starting from the Middle English.

ǫ =;
ę =;
ø = (at the origin a binding by superposition of O and E )

These three symbols dates from the 12th century. They were proposed for the orthography of the Vieil Icelandic by the author of the First treaty of grammar and often were taken again for the notation of others Scandinavian Langues then in Phonétique history of these languages; ø is at the origin of the symbol the API one;

ą = in the Rune S Danish and Norwegian (cf Large stone of Jelling) then later on (as from approximately 1050).

Consonants

Re-used old letters

þ = (or) thorn

Letter drawn from the Rune þorn and added in the Latin alphabet of old English to the 8th century to note as much as. It is spread in Scandinavia (in particular in Vieil Icelandic) where it is associated with only. It disappears in this form during the Middle English, replaced by a C-W communication simplified similar to a there , to which one will almost exclusively prefer as from the 15th century the Digramme HT (by continental influence in the manner of noting the Greek letter Θ HT , which decided then; to note that a C-W communication HT is attested as of the beginnings of the Latin writing in England, probably imitated Irish uses; one quickly preferred to him þ and 2D ). Still presents in Icelandic, it is used in linguistics of the Germanic languages to note exclusively;

2D = (or) eth (in the past that )

This letter, invented during the same time that þ follows a similar destiny. The English scribes drew the new letter here from a D (in its C-W communication insular Onciale, therefore curve) by barring it. Like þ , 2D is used then as much for that for. Passed to Iceland, it is fixed at it on while it disappears from English, replaced in all the cases by þ at the end of the Middle English. The transcription of the Germanic languages also continues to make use of it, in competition with đ . The API one definitively adopted it;

ƿ = Wynn

Drawn from the Rune ᚹ, wynn is used only in transliteration as manuscripts. It was the old manner of writing the sound, for which one preferred W come from the continent (to also consult Ligature for other details);

ȝ =, even Yogh

This letter old is generally used for the transliteration of the manuscripts as Middle English: one uses if not an explicit phonetic symbol (or modern C-Ws communication). To consult the article which is devoted to him for more details.

New letters or borrowed from other languages

It is probably starting from the layout of 2D , which represents the Spirantisation of /d/, that one extended the noting principle to other letters of the Occlusive S become Fricative S or Spirante S, so as to obtain, by means of the registered Barre for certain consonants:

ƀ =;
đ = (starting from D on the model of 2D by eliminating the curve suitable for the uncial writing);
ǥ =;

but:

χ = (the anomalous use d' a Greek letter, which can currently decide in Greek modern, is explained by esthetic reasons, a K barred being likely to be less readable);
ȥ (or ʓ ) = S caudé (used for the Old high German and the Average high-German)

This letter is a philological artifice. The German manuscripts, indeed, noted resulting from the Second consonant shift of /t/ by the letter Z , which was also used to write the affricate consonant. One thus uses the letter ȥ to differentiate both Z written. In many cases, the works of linguistics are satisfied with the letter S : one will thus write ëȥȥan or ëssan (even without E , the dieresis being another philological artifice) but not ezzan , which would let believe that one pronounced instead of. German of this time however used well a S but it is known that it was not about the same /s/ as that of ȥ , because the poetic texts do not make Rime R or to alliterate the two phonemes. The difference between two /s/ is badly known. One can think that /s/ written S was more hushing than ȥ or more soft (indeed, this /s/ older since tonic with before the second change knows several Allophone S: , and).

Actuellement, /s/ strong ȥ is pronounced and often written ß . It merges with /s/ noted S when this one is deaf;

ƕ = Hwair ;

One uses this recent binding for the Gotique. It is a fusion of H and U (or v );

ʒ or ʓ =, Ezh ;

These characters are a philological artifice to represent the G uncial Irish (cf Yogh ) in the transliteration of English texts old. The letter G makes the deal as well. In the phonetic transcriptions, one will use a symbol without ambiguity, that is to say, in the order, ǥ , J and G .

Other notable cases

H can be worth, or, according to position in the word and the studied language;
Q note in the transcription of the Gotique;
ʀ is useful with or for the transcription of the rune ᛉ in the inscriptions in runes Danish (8th century), Swedish “rök” (9th century), Norwegian (11th century). It is the result by old Rhotacisme of /z/;
there and J are generally read (vowel U of the moon ) and (consonant there of yurt ). The value of is old there in the Germanic languages: it appears as of the beginnings of old English (8th century) in the manuscripts, where it is however never used to note, assigned role with G then, for the period of the Middle English, with the letter ȝ , which was then erased with the profit of there . The value disappears in English with the profit from others as but the letter is preserved, always as a vowel. The Scandinavian languages however borrowed a letter there being used only to note the vowel, which sees well in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Vieil Icelandic (in Icelandic modern, evolved/moved there in) but also in German. In these languages, J is written. The current values the API one are a reflection of the old roles reserved for these letters.

Suprasegmental characteristics

The vocalic Quantité long is marked by the Macron. No manuscript indicated the quantities, however. The Acute accent is used for the tonic Accent.

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