28.10.2008 Old English Phonetics Roman and Greek alphabets were the basis for the most of European alphabets. (Outline of OE grammar) English spelling is considered to be phonetic. Exceptions are when two symbols stand for one sound and vice versa:
ð,
,
,
ʒ=g, æ, [γ]
One symbol, two phonemes: c → represents two different sounds depending on adjacent phonemes: c → /k/ followed by back vowel (A, O, U) or a consonant cōl (=cool), cniht (=knight), bōc (=book), cræft (=craft) ↓
strength (OE) → /t∫ / followed by front vowels
cyrice (=church), cild (=child)
Two symbols, one phoneme: sc → /∫ / scip (=ship), scīnan (=to shine) *there are two varieties in spelling of the same verb: ascian, II /askian/, it is a weak verb and it means to ask. acsian/axian axigean → verb is of a gothic origin and it has weak form with “stem-i” suffix
cg → /dʒ / ecg (=edge), secgan, III (=to say)
One symbol, three phonemes: g → [g] gnāwan (=to gnaw), gōd (=good) → [j] gif (=if) → [γ] dragan (=to draw)
Old English Phonology -vowelsThere are two sets of OE vowels and both short and long vowels are pronounced in same way and it the same place – the quality is the same, but the quantity is different. short vowels: /i/ → it is a front vowel and it is not as short as the MnE /Ι/ ic /it∫/ (=I) /y/ → central round vowel pytt (=put) synn (=sin) /e/ → front vowel ende (=end) bedd (=bed) /æ/ → front vowel fæst (=fast), glæd (=glad), gærs (=grass) /a/ → back vowel faran (=to travel) /ɔ / → back vowel God (=God), storm (=storm) /u/ → back vowel sunu (=son), munuc (=monk), hund (=hound) long vowels: /i:/ → front vowel līf (=life), wīs (=wise), mīn; gen. of ic (=me), wīf (=wife) /y:/ → front vowel brȳde (=bride), mȳs (=mice), f ȳr (=fire) /e:/ cwēn (=queen), gēs (geese) /æ:/ sǣ (=sea), dǣd (=deed)
/a:/ hām (=home), rāp (=rope), stān (=stone), hlāf (=loaf) /ɔ:/ gōd (=good), hrōf (=roof), glōf (=glove) /u:/ hūs (=house), tūn (=town), mū
(=mouth)
vowel diphthongs: → differ only in length → consists of two parts; 1 st is fully pronounced & stressed 2nd is slightly stressed → one sound towards the other /iə/ hiera; gen. pl. of the second person of the personal pronoun y ō (=you) giefan /jiəvan/ (=to give) /eɔ / heorte (=heart), eorl (=earl, warrior), deorc (=dark) /ea/,/æa/ earm (=poor), geard /jeard/ (=yard), weall (=wall) /i:ə / hīē (=they), hīēran (=to hear) /e:ɔ / trēō (=tree), dēōp (=deep) /æ:a/, /e:a/ lēāf (=leaf), strēām (=stream) Many monosyllabic words in OE containing short vowels remained the same, while long diphthongs disappeared throughout the end of the period. Most important vowel changes are only mentioned – three major phonological changes of vowels in OE are breaking, palatalization and mutation.
