8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

1/17

The Sounds of Old English

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

2/17

How Do Linguists Know About

Ancient Pronunciation?

Looking at the alphabetletter values do

not change at random, should besomewhat similar as today, especially

consonants. Vowels are a little tricky

they tend to change more.

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

3/17

Usually no strict rules in past Old Englishfor spelling, so scribes probably wrote as

they spokewith evidence from languagevariation.

Comparative reconstructionworking

back from present known forms. Known sound changes, e.g., hit becoming

it can easily happen as initial h droppedalso in Modern English (I saw im)

Poetic evidencehow poets use rhyme ofalliteration.

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

4/17

Old English Texts

No early manuscripts right after Anglo-Saxons arrived in Britain; only a few

inscriptions in the Runic alphabet

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

5/17

With the coming of Christianity in 597,

there was a need for manuscripts forreligious purposes

Materials start from about the year 700,

mostly glossaries (lists) of Latin words Probably many texts were lost

From about 850 on more religious texts,

lives of saints, sermons, etc.

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

6/17

Secular literature, epic poetry, e.g.

Beowulf Also works translated from Latin

Texts remaining total about 3.5 million

words

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

7/17

What did Old English Writing

Look Like?

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

8/17

The Sound System

Vowels very different from in ModernEnglish

Set of seven long and short vowels

Two diphthongs with long and shortvarieties

Many consonants much the same, someshowed differences

Much variation; sometimes scribes mademistakes

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

9/17

The Vowels

Long Vowels Short Vowels a

e i

o

uy [] y []

Long and Short Vowels Contrasted

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

10/17

Diphthongs

Long Short

a ea

o eo

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

11/17

ConsonantsThe Differences

f, s Voiced (like v and z) between vowels

and voiced sounds

Voiceless (like f and s) elsewhere

, Symbols interchangeable

Voiced between vowels and voiced

sounds

Voiceless elsewhere

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

12/17

c Like before front vowelsk elsewhere

g Like y before front vowels

g elsewhereh Like voiceless fricative []

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

13/17

r was probably trilled

Other consonants much like expected

Contrast of short and long consonants

sc Like (dish)cg Like (edge)

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

14/17

Prayer Our FatherKing James Version

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed by Thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thine will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us.And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil.

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

15/17

Reading ofOur Father

http://our%20father.mp3/http://our%20father.mp3/

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

16/17

Vowel Mutations

Happened also in ancient times, e.g.,

goose/geese; mouse/mice; old/elder;

man/men; blood/bleed

In early Old English another vowel

mutation, i-mutation (umlaut), probably

in 7th century but not too much later

8/2/2019 6. OE sounds

17/17

When followed by a syllable with the high

front vowel i, the vowel in a stressedsyllable became front, e.g., *fotiz became

fet, Modern English feet.

Also provides evidence for when certainLatin words were borrowed into OE, e.g.,

Latin caseus in in OE cyse, so we know

this word was already in OE in the 7th

century.