Palatalisation of Velar Consonants

In Early OE velar consonants split into two distinct sets of sounds, which led to the growth of new phonemes.

The velar consonants [k, g, х, γ] were palatalised before a front vowel, and sometimes also after a front vowel, unless followed by a back vowel. In the absence of these phonetic conditions the consonants did not change, with the result that lingual consonants split into two sets, palatal and velar.

Scheme 12

Palatalisation of Velar Consonants

velar [k, g, х, γ] + a front > [k', g', х', j]

consonants vowel

The difference between palatal and velar consonants became phonemic when, a short time later, velar and palatal consonants began to occur in similar phonetic conditions.

e.g. OE cild (NE child) – [k']

} both before front vowels

OE ceald (NE cold) – [k]

In the course of time the phonetic difference between palatal and velar consonants grew and towards the end of the period the palatal consonants developed into sibilants and affricates: [k’] > [t∫], [g’] > [d3].

7.Loss of Consonants.

In Early OE many PG consonants were lost in certain conditions.

Nasal sonorants were regularly lost before fricative consonants. In the process the preceding vowel was probably nasalised and lengthened.

e.g. Gt uns, OHG uns – OE ūs (NE us)

Fricative consonants could be dropped between vowels and before some plosive consonants. These losses were accompanied by a compensatory lengthening of the preceding vowel into a diphthong.

e.g. OE sæ3de > OE sǽde (NE said)

Semi-vowels and consonants were also lost in unstressed final syllables. [j] was regularly dropped in suffixes after producing various changes in the root: palatal mutation of vowels, lengthening of consonants after short vowels.

e.g. OE Nom. trēo

> NE tree

Dat. trēowe

(Russian, Ukr. дерево)

Glossary

Breaking (fracture) – the change of the front vowels [i], [e] and [æ] into diphthongs [ea], [ea:], [eo] before l+l, h, r or before these sounds + other consonants.

Dependent changes – the changes that took place in special phonetic conditions, under the influence of succeeding or preceding sounds.

Devoicing – the process when PG voiced fricatives [v], [ð], [γ], [z] became voiceless namely, initially, finally and next to voiceless consonants: [v]>[f], [ð]>[θ], [γ]>[х], [z]>[s].

Diphthongisation – the change when after the palatal consonants [k'], [sk'] and [j] short and long [e] and [æ] turned into diphthongs [ie], [ea], [ea:].

Gemination – the lengthening of the most consonants after a short vowel before [j].

Hardening – the change of the PG voiced fricatives [ð], [v] and [γ] into the OE voiced plosives [d], [b] and [g].

Independent changes – the changes that took place in all phonetic conditions irrespective of environment.

Palatalisation – the process when the velar consonants [k, g, х, γ] were palatalized before a front vowel and sometimes also after a front vowel, unless followed by a back vowel: [k]>[k'], [g]>[g'], [g:]>[g':], [х]>[х'], [γ]>[j].

Palatal mutation (i-Umlaut) – the fronting and raising of vowels through the influence of [I] or [j] in the immediate following syllable.

Rhotacism – the change of PG [z] through the stage of [3] into [r] in OE.

Splitting of velar consonants – the process of developing of [k'] and [g] into [t∫] and [d3].

Voicing – the process when the PG voiceless fricatives [f], [θ], [х], [s] became voiced intervocally and between vowels, sonorants and voiced consonants in OE: [f]>[v], [θ]>[ð], [х]>[γ], [s]>[z].

Literature

A) Principal:

1. Історія англійської мови / Навчальний посібник для самостійної роботи студентів-філологів, що вивчають англійську мову як фах. – Полтава, 2002. – C. 30-40.

2. Rastorgueva T.A. A History of English. – M.,1983. – Chapter VIII (P.74 - 90).

B) Supplementary:

1. Залесская Л.Д. Пособие по истории английского языка для заочных отделений факультетов английского языка педагогических институтов. – М., 1984. – С. 20-23.

2. Иванова И.П., Чахоян Л.П., Беляева Т.М. История английского языка. – СПб., 1999. – С. 50-68.

3. Аракин В.Д. История английского языка: Учеб. пособие для студентов пед. ин-тов. – М.: Просвещение, 1985. – Глава II. – С. 31-45.

4. Ильиш Б.А. История английского языка. (На англ. яз.) Учебник для студентов фак. иностр. яз. пед. ин-тов. – Л., 1972. – C. 44-56.

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