Germanic a-mutation
(Also known as A- umlaut ) Refractive referred to in Historical Linguistics various assimilatory vowel changes. The term was introduced by Jacob Grimm.
Other umlauts are the Germans in today's typical I- umlaut and still in Inselskandinavischen occurring U- umlaut.
Refraction in the Old and Middle High German
In Old High German it means the reduction of Germanic / i /, / u / and / eu / Old-Highdutch to / e /, / o / and / eo, io, ie / when the following syllable / a /, / e / or / o / and contained no nasal ( / n / and / m / ) stood in between.
The conversion from / i / to / e /, however, was relatively rare and has been taken back by later developments compensation in part, such as umbrellas for the double forms and schermen. Nevertheless, there are still words in German, to which this reduction is observed, for example, to live (english live), liver (English: liver ) or licking ( cf. English lick, Latin lingere ).
The alternation / u / - / o / applied particularly to the conjugation of strong verbs in Middle High German, especially the Ablautreihen II, IIIB and IV and explains the change of the stem vowel in the preterite plural and past participle. This was the Präteritalform of help in Old High German we hulfum. Since the refraction did not occur on / u / in the following syllable, was the appropriate form in the Middle High German we hulfen. However, the participle had a / a /, so that the refraction occurred in Old High German: giholfan. In Middle High German was then helped from it. Other examples are: we Zugen - drawn ( ' pull ': we moved - solid) and consuls - Solte ( should - should ).
However, this change also affected other parts of speech, for example, the noun Wolf ( Germanic * wulfaz ). The juxtaposition of praise - vows full - fill and gold - of gold can be explained by affection: in Old High German / u / not / o / "broken", when in the following syllable, a / i / or / j / was present. In Middle High German, these were / u / then / u / umlaut. What has not changed, however, are bound and well, since in these cases the / u / a nasal follows.
The vowel change in Germanic / eu / to Old High German / eo, io, ie /, however, is more complex, here was / eu / only before / a /, / e / and / o / without intervening nasal or / w / to / eo, io, ie / lowered. In Middle High German it was / ie /. This then is a refraction. In contrast, caused / i /, / j /, / u / or / w / in the following syllable, a raising of / eu /, which eventually / iu / was. The resulting by refraction / ie /, however, fell into the Middle High German period with that together, that from the Germanic / e / stemmed - Old High German diphthongization, which is for example still be seen on the following etymology: Latin brevis or breve, from which the Old High German briaf, neuhochdeutsch letter, and the low German Breef have arisen; The latter still has the old vocal booth. An example of this refraction is, among other si ziehent ( ' pull it '), which alternates with whom he raised ziuhit (intervention ). Again, balancing processes have taken place at a later time.
Refraction in other Germanic languages
It is disputed whether the refraction was a urgermanisches phenomenon. The term refraction but is also used for sound developments in other Germanic languages.
Thus, it relates to the Gothic lowering of / i / and / u / to / e / or / o /, if this a / r / or / h / followed.
In Old Icelandic / Old Norse the diphthongization of / e / to / ia / and / io / before / a / and / u / is meant when in the following syllable / a / or / u / occurred.
In Old English there was a break: / e / and / i / were diphthongised to / ia / or / io / before / a / or / u / in the following syllable and / a / changed before / r /, / l /, / to ea / h / consonant or a single / h