Gothic ai and au: A Possible Solution

184 Pages·1974·14.39 MB·English

by  Richard J. de Alquen

JANUA LINGUARUM
STUDIA MEMORIAE
NICOLAI VAN WIJK DEDICATA
edenda curai
C. H. VAN SCHOONEVELD
Indiana University
Series Practica, 151

GOTHIC AI AND AU
A Possible Solution
by
RICHARD J. E. D'ALQUEN
1974
MOUTON
THE HAGUE • PARIS
© Copyright 1974 in The Netherlands.
Mouton & Co. N.V., Publishers, The Hague.
No part of this book may be translated or reproduced in any form by print, photoprint,
microfilm, or any other means, without written permission from the publishers.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 72-94440
Printed in Belgium by N.I.C.I., Ghent
To Ernst Alfred Philippson

PREFACE
This monograph is based on a dissertation submitted at the University of Illinois In
1967. The least fruitful chapters of the dissertation (Chapter 8, "Transmission of Text
and Manuscript History" and Chapter 10, "Survey of Theories on the Orthographic
Variants") have been partly summarized and partly omitted, because the material
for the most part, served neither to support nor to weaken the proposed theory.
Chapter 3, "Loans and Foreign Names in Gothic", has grown considerably with
an examination of irregular transcriptions, which are listed at the end of the chapter.
This list and the one at the end of Chapter 8 were established only for the purpose of
extracting evidence pertinent to the proposed theory. They were included primarily
because the reader should be able to check on the statements made about spelling
irregularity, but also because nothing approaching a complete listing is available
elsewhere.
The uncertainty about the phonetic values of ai au led to the adoption of the con-
vention /aij /auI to signify the phoneme(s) represented by written ai au, and similarly
for other letters. The practice of writing [ai] [au] instead of [aj] [aw] has no significance
in general. Sometimes it may be necessary to emphasize the presence of semi-vowels;
in this case the reader will find [aj] [aw]. Otherwise the alternative pair is used, denoting
what are thought to be monosyllabic falling diphthongs or glides starting low-central
and moving towards high-front or high-back. Although specific symbols are used, the
present writer does not claim to be able to reconstruct exact phonetic values; the
choicj made is, within limits, arbitrary.
In the controversy over ai au in Gothic it seems that one can subscribe to one main
view or the other only by toning a slightly deaf ear to certain counterarguments. If
all the evidence used is real and pertinent, there must be a theory that allows it to fall
neatly into place. The writer hopes that in this attempt to substantiate or fault such
a theory he will be neither deaf nor over-receptive to anything.
This book has been published with the help of a grant from the Humanities Research
Council of Canada, using funds provided by the Canada Council.

CONTENTS
Preface 7
List of Abbreviations 13
List of Maps 16
List of Tables 17
CHAPTER 1. The old dispute and a new approach 19
1.1. Introduction 19
1.2. The case for dual values 20
1.3. The case for monophthongs only:
refutation of the dual-values theory 22
1.4. Positive arguments in the case for
monophthongs only 23
1.5. Refutation of a refutation: weaknesses
of the case for monophthongs only 24
1.6. Adjudication 28
1.7. Protest 29
1.8. Case dismissed 29
1.9. A new approach 29
CHAPTER 2. The Gothic alphabet 34
2.1. Survey of views on Wulfila's sources 34
2.2. From Greek symbols alone 36
2.3. From runic symbols alone 40
2.4. From Greek, runic and Latin 41
2.5. Conclusion 48
CHAPTER 3. Loans and foreign names in Gothic 49
3.1. Introduction 49
10 CONTENTS
3.2. Deviations from regular transcription.
Front vowels 50
3.3. Deviations from regular transcription.
Back vowels 55
3.4. The loan-types of irregularity 56
3.5. Development of the proposed theory 60
3.6. Conclusion 67
List of deviant transcriptions 69
CHAPTER 4. Contacts between Gothic and Old High German 77
4.1. Loans from Gothic 77
4.2. The Salzburg-Vienna Manuscript 80
4.3. Conclusion 81
CHAPTER 5. Loans from Visigothic 82
5.1. Introduction and history of the Visigoths 82
5.2. The Visigothic loans 84
5.3. Conclusion 88
CHAPTER 6. Loans from Ostrogothic 89
6.1. Introduction and historical background 89
6.2. The Ostrogothic loans 90
6.3. Biotto 90
6.4. A troublesome etymology: Ger. blutt 93
6.5. Stropicciare 102
6.6. Conclusion 105
CHAPTER 7. Gothic names in Romance sources 107
7.1. Introduction and study before Wrede 107
7.2. Wrede 108
7.3. Meyer-Liibke 113
7.4. Sachs 116
7.5. Gamillscheg 120
7.6. Conclusion 124
CHAPTER 8. The orthographic variants 125
8.1. Introduction 125
8.2. The front vowels 126
8.3. The back vowels 129
8.4. Doubts about the raising environment 131
8.5. A phonological pattern 131
8.6. The order of events in Ostrogothic
monophthongization 131