Phonological evidence from the Continental Runic inscriptions / Martin Findell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Findell, Martin.

Series:

Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde - Ergänzungsbände

Erganzungsbande zum Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde ; Bd. 79

Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde , 1866-7678 ; 79

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Germanic languages--Phonology.

Germanic languages.

English language--Old English, ca. 450-1100--Phonology.

English language.

Proto-Germanic language--Phonology.

Proto-Germanic language.

Inscriptions, Runic.

Comparative linguistics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (560 pages) : maps

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berlin ; Boston : De Gruyter, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The linguistic analysis of runic inscriptions on the Continent tends to focus on individual texts or on groups of texts seen as parallel. We can advance our understanding of the state of Continental Germanic dialects in the 5th-7th centuries by examining the evidence for the major sound changes in a larger dataset. The study begins with a brief discussion of the Proto-Germanic phonemic system and the major processes by which the systems of Old High German (OHG) and Old Saxon (OS) develop from it. The main body of the work consists of the analysis of a corpus of 90 inscriptions (including, but not confined to, those conventionally labeled "South Germanic") for evidence of these changes. Rather than making the individual inscription the focus for analysis, the investigation groups together all possible witnesses to a particular phonological process. In many respects, the data are found to be consistent with the anticipated developments of OHG and OS; but we encounter some problems which the existing models of the sound changes cannot account for. There is also some evidence for processes at work in the dialects of the inscriptions which are not attested in OHG or OS.

Contents:

Front matter

Acknowledgements

Prefatory note

Contents

Abbreviations

Part I: Text

1. The Continental runic inscriptions

2. Phonology and runic orthography

3. The diphthongs

4. The back vocalics

5. The front vocalics

6. The low vowels

7. The consonants

8. The phonological system(s) of "Continental Runic"

Part II: Catalogue

Notes on catalogue entries

Catalogue entries

Appendix 1: Handlist of Continental runic inscriptions excluded from the corpus

Appendix 2: Suspect inscriptions. Possible forgeries and the assessment of authenticity

Appendix 3: The "Berlin" scabbard mouthpiece

Maps

Bibliography

Index of inscriptions

Notes:

Originallly presented as the author's thesis (doctoral--University of Nottingham, 2009) under the title "Vocalism in the Continental Runic Inscriptions."

Includes bibliographical references (p. [509]-530) and index.

ISBN:

9781283857161

1283857162

9783110289251

3110289253

OCLC:

820121179