The nasal vowels in Old Norse

• Nasality in Proto Germanic

• Nasality in Proto Norse

• Nasal vowels in Old Norse

Explanations and abbreviations• (R) = Runic evidence• (FG) = First grammatical treatise• ö = Old Norse umlauted a• ǫ = nasal o• , vv� N = nasal vowel• , v� v� = long vowel

• OHG = Old High German• OS = Old Saxon• LG = Low German• OE = Old English• OD = Old Danish• OI = Old Icelandic

What Antonsens derives from the elder futhark

• /a, a/, /e, e/, /i, i/, /o, o/, /u, u/, ᚨ ᛖ ᛁ ᛟ ᚢ ᚨᛁ

/ai/, /au/, /eu/, /iu/ ᚨᚢ ᛖᚢ ᛁᚢ

What Bjarne Sandgaard says about the vowels in Proto-Germanic

• Vowels in initial and medial syllable• e, a, i, u, e/æ, e2, o, i, u, ai, iu, au

• Vowels in final syllable:• a, aN, i, i, iN, u, uN, e, eN, , o, oe� N, , u, æ, ai, au, o�

oi, iu, ou

Vowels in standardized Old Norse

• a, á, é, e, i, í, o, ó, u, ú, y, ý, æ, œ, ø, ǫ/ö (umlauted a)

Vowels in the Elfdalian alfabet

- a, ą e ę i į o u ų y å ä öy� ą

First syllable before a nasal consonantRunic Old Icelandic Elfdalian West Germanic Gothic meaning

moða (x 2)Ā� Ámóða

munda (x 2)Ā� Ámunda

ąn (x 25) á ą ana (OHG) ana ’on’ąnd / nd, ąnda, ö�ąndinni (x 36)

önd, anda ąnda antin (OHG) ’soul’

Ąndswarr (x 1) Andsvarr

Ąndwétt, Ąndwéttr (x 2)

Andvétt, Andvéttr

ąnnąn, ąnnarr (x 4) annan -ąnąn anderan (OHG) anþarana ’other’

ąnnart (x 1) annart -ąnąn ’other’n (x 1)ą� án ’without'ni (x 1)Ā� Áni nundĀ�nundrĀ�nundaʀ (x 12)Ā�

ÖnundÖnundr Önundar

bry� nna börnen(LG)

’give cows water

First syllable before a nasal consonantDąnmarku (x 1) Danmörku Denemarca (OHG) ’Denmark’

dr ngi, dr ng (x 2)æ� æ� drengi, dreng drąingg ’warrior’

Fąnn (x 1) fann fann fand(OS)

fanþ ’found’

Finląndi (x 1) Finlandi ’Finland’

frąmėr ’brazen’

fr nmąna (x 1)ą� fránmana ’brave men’

fr nda (x 2)æ� frænda frænde friund (OS) frijonds ’kin’Garðstąngum (x 1) Garðstöngum ’pole’

gąmall (x 1) gamall gåmål gamal(OHG)

’old’

hąmri, -hąmbri (x 2) hamri ’hammer’

hąn, hąnum, hąns (x 42)

hann, hans ąn, - ’he, him, his’

H mingR (x 1)æ� Hemingr Haming(OHG)

Kąnp (x 1) Kanp ’mustache’Jamtaląnd (x 1) Jamtaland ’Jamtland’

First syllable before a nasal consonantkwąn (x 1)kwanaʀ (x 1)

kvánkvánar

quena (OS, OHG) (< kwenon)

qina (< *kwenon) ’woman’

kw mu (x 1)ą� kvámu kąmu quamon (OHG) qamun ’came’

ląnd-,ląndi (x 2)

land,landi

ląnd land land ’land’

mąn (x 1) mann mąn mannan ’man’mąnr (x 2) maðr / mannr mąn man manna ’man’

-mąną, -mąna, mąnni (x 4)

manna, manni manne ’man’

Mąnni/ M ni (x1)ą� Manna / máni Manno(OHG)

mąnnum (x 1) mönnum ’men’

mįnna minnian(OS)

’remind’

mǫna ’would not’ m ndeø� ’would’ rąmr ’husky’Rąndr (x 1) Randr Rąndi (x 1) Randvé Rando

(OHG)

Rąnwæig (x 1) Ranveig

First syllable before a nasal consonant

rųnar runa (oht.) runos ’runes’sąmąn (x 1) saman sųmmu Sąndulfr (x 1) Sandúlfr sąnd sand (os.) ’sand’Skąnøy (x 1) Skaney stąnda, stąndi (x 3)

standa, standi stąnda standan (os.) standan ’stand’

strąndu (x 1) ströndu st iną, st in (x æ� æ�2)

steina stįena steina/ -a (oht.) staínans ’stone’

styrimąns (x 1) stýrimans ’captain’ s nay� ’show’Tafæistaląndi (x 1) Tafeistalandi þąnn (x 4) þann dan-dar thena (oht.) þana ’that’

First syllable before a nasal consonant

þąną, þąna (x 7)

þenna ’this’

þąnsi, (x 48) þenna ’this’ u nescę� ’get used

to’ uǭn ’expected’uʀgrąndaʀi (x 1)

ørgrandari ’hard rule’

wettwąngi (x 1)

véttvangi ’battlefield’

Æistmąnn (x 1)

Eistmann

nglandi (x �3)

Englandi Ænglaland (OE)

’England’

First syllable before a nasal consonant

moĀ� ða (R), munda (R), sąmąn (R), rąmr (FG)Ā�- Nasalization before m- Proof of nasal variant of short and long a

st iną, æ� fræ�nda, H mingR, dr ngæ� æ� - Proof of nasal æi and æ- Nasalization before n

ąnd / ndǫ�Suggestion of nasal ö (umlauted a)

First syllable before a nasal consonant

mįnna (FG), mǫna (FG), uǭn (FG), m nde (FG), ø�rųnar, sy� na (FG) , br nna (FG), uy� nesc ę� (FG)- Futher proof of nasalization before n

- Proof of nasal i, o, o, ø, u, y, e

First syllable before a nasal consonant

Finląndi (R), fr nmąna (R), Garðstąngum (R), ą�ląndmąnna (R), Tafæistaląndi (R), wettwąngi (R), Æistmąnn (R)- Proof of nasalization in second element of compounds

First syllable before a nasal vowelWhat nasal vowels are found in the runic data and first grammatical treatise:

ą, , į, ǫ, ǭ, , , , ?ą� y�� æ� ø� ǫ�

- Nasalization of vowels occur before n and m just like in Elfdalian. Also in the second element of compounds

First syllable after nasal consonantRunic Old Icelandic Elfdalian West Germanic Gothic meaningn są� nás ’corpse’n tuæ� nætr nętär naht- (OHG) naht- ’nights’m (x 2)ą� má mą mah (OS) ’able to’

First syllable after nasal consoant-Proof of , æ� ą�

-Proof of nasalization of long vowels after nasal consonant just like in Elfdalian

First syllable without nasal consonantRunic Old Icelandic Elfdalian West Germanic Gothic meaning

Ąwarkar (x 1) Áverkar

(x 51)ą� á (oi.) ą ana (OHG) ana ’on’sa, su (x 10)Ā� Ā� Ása, Ásu Asa (OHG)

sbjörn (x 11)Ā� Ásbjörn

sboð (x 3)Ā� Ásbóð sfriðr (x 3)Ā� Ásfríðr Ansfrid (OHG)

sgautr, sgauts, Ā� Ā�sgaut (x 12)Ā�

Ásgautr, Ásgauts, Ásgaut

Ansegaud (OHG)

sgerði (x 1)Ā� Ásgerði ans- (OHG)

sgunnr (x1)Ā� Ásgrunnr Ansegunde

sgæiʀʀ, sgæiʀs Ā� Ā�(x 3)

Ásgeirr Ansigar (OHG)

First syllable without nasal consonant

slak, slakʀ (x Ā� Ā�3)

Áslak, Áslakr

slæikiʀ (x 1)Ā� Ásleikr smund, Ā�smundr (x 15)Ā�

Ásmund, Ásmundr

Ansemund (OHG)

skel (x 3)Ā� Áskel skil (x 1)Ā� Áskel skatla (x 1)Ā� Áskatla slæik (x 1)Ā� Ásleik sta (x 1)Ā� Ásta straðr (x 2)Ā� Ástraðr Anstrad (OHG) sti (x 1)Ā� Ásti striðr (x 1)Ā� Ástriðr striði (x 1)Ā� Ástriði swarĀ� Ásvör

First syllable without nasal consonantswið, swiðaʀ (x 2)Ā� Ā� Ásvið, Ásviðar

sulvR (x 2)Ā� Ásulfr

sur, suraR (x 5)Ā� Ā� Özur, Özurar Ansuar(OHG)

waiʀ (x 1)Ā� Ávarr ąftiʀ (x 9) eptir etter aftar (OS) aftaro ’after’ frą frą ’from’ f rę� ’lamb’

Frąkka (x 1) Frakka (OI),Fraki (OD.) Franki (OD)

Fracko (OHG)

G sa (x 1)ą� Gása H islaʀ (x 1)ą� Háislar

H kon (x 2)ą� Hákon Hancwin (OHG)

hąr ’shark’ ǫrar ųer unser (OHG) unsar ’our’

rǫ rå ’corner of house’r isa (x 1)æ� reisa ræran (OE) urraisjan ’set upright’

First syllable without nasal consonant

Sąsgærðr (x 1) Sasgerðr tw (x 6)ą� tvá tųæ twena (os.) twans ’two’ þąsa / þąsi (x 2)akk.sg.f.

þessa isa, d -darą these (os.) ’this’

þąisi (x 1)akk.pl.m.

þessa isa ’these’

þ (x 3)ą� þá dą than (os.) þan ’then’ þęl daha (oht.) þaho ’file’Þorfąstr Þorfastr þųat ’beaten’Wifąstr Véfastr raø� Jung (oht.) juggs ’younger’

First syllable after nasal consoant-Proof of ,ą� ą, ę, , ǫ, , į, , ǫ, ǭę� ø� æ�

-Proof of Proto-Norse VNs > s as in s- (R) < *ansuz, V�� Ā� þą (R) < *þans. Compare Elfdalian, g s < *gans-ą , s < *amsa-ą

-Proof of Proto-Norse Vnz > r as in ǫrarV���� (FG) < *unzer-, compare Elfdalian ųer.

- Proof of Proto-Germanic Vnh > as in V� hąr < *hanhaz (FG), rǫ < (FG) < *wranho, þęl (FG) < *þinhilo, H islaʀ (R) ą� < *hanha-. Compare Elfdalian g tt < ą *ganhtiz, k t < ą*kanhtaz, t t ą < *þanhtuz, gęta < *ga-anhatjanaN, gą < *ga-anhenaN.

- Note: the elfdalian examples are taken fromm Kroonen 2011

First syllable without nasal consoant

- Proof of Proto-Norse Vnk > kkV� as in Frąkka (R) < *Frank-, compare Elfdalian okkel < *ankulaz , bokke <*bankan, blokk < *blankaz, tokk < *þanko.

- Proof of loss of m or n gives nasalization: þ (R), (R), frą (FG), compare ą� ą�Elfdalian d < ą *þan, , fr < *framą ą

-Proof of Proto-Germanic nasal o survival: þąsa / þąsi < *þoN (feminin, accusative, singular of sa). Compare Elfdalian d -dar < *ą þan (Proto Dalecarlian). þąsa / þąsi found in:

Sigriðr gærði bro þąsi (Sö 101)Ranwæik á kistu þąsa (N 541)

Elfdalian examples from Guus Kroonen 2011

First syllable without nasal consoant

- Wifąstr and Þorfąstr may be spelling errors, but they may also be evidence of an unvoiced Werner of *fangst thus, a form *fanhst can be reconstructed, and we have proof of nasal vowels in second element of compounds without nasal consonant preserved.

- ąftiʀ with a nasal a is attested nine times in Sweden, but since the word is aftaro in Gothic we can see that there was no nasal consonant in the past, thus we may have nine example of spelling errors, or proof of nasalization from nothing in the swedish dialect of Old Norse.

- Suggestion of parastic nasalization before s in r isa ‘æ� set upright’, a process which also seems to happen in Elfdalian, for example rįesa ‘to travel’.

Second syllable before nasal cosonant

Runic Old Icelandic Elfdalian West Germanic Gothic meaningąnąn (x 3) annan -ąnąn anderan (OHG) anþarana ’other’falwąn (x 1) falvan ’dead’fæigjąn (x 1) feigjan fiegąn ’dead’goðąn (x 10) góðan godan (OS) goþana ’good’Halfdąn (x 3) Hálfdan Kwikwąn (x 1) Kvikván sjalvąn (x 2) sjálfan selban

(OHG)silbana ’self’

siðąn (x 1) síðan ’since’uhæimskąn (x 1) úheimskan -iemskąn ’wise‘rettąn (x 1) réttan retta rihtian

(OS)garaihtjan ’place’

Second syllable before nasal cosonant

- Proof of nasalization in second syllable before n just like in Elfdalian

- Further proof of nasal a

Second syllable after nasal consonantRunic Norrønt Elvdalsk Vestgermansk Gotisk Betydning

Arną Árna (oi.) Bruną Brúna GuðbjarnąR Guðbjarnar

Gunną, Gunnąr (x 2 Gunna (oi.) Gundon (OHG)

hennąR hennar ’her’Holmą Holma Hræbną (x 1) Hrefna (oi.)

koną (x 1) kona (oi.) quena (OS, OHG) qina ’wife, woman’

kristną (x 2) kristna (oi.) kristna -ans ’christian

komą koma kumå qeman(OHG.)

qiman ’come’

kwenną kvenna kwinna quenono (OS)

qinono ’woman’

-mąną (x 2) manna manne' ’man’

runąʀ (x 13) rúnar runa (OHG) runos ’runes’

siną (x 13) sína sąina, sąin sinan (OHG) seinana ’her, hisstæiną (x 10) steina (oi.) stįena steina/ -a (OHG) staínans ’stone’

suną sona ’son’Tumą (x2) Tuma Tumo (OHG) þąną, þeną (x 59) þenna (oi.) ’that’

Second syllable after nasal consonant

- Further proof of nasal a

- Proof of nasalization of short vowels after nasal m and n: Holmą, koną

Second syllable without nasal consonant

Runic Old Icelandic Elfdalian West Germanic Gothic meaningDjuRą (x 1) Djúra harðą (x 1) harða -o -o ’very’felagą (x 1) félaga -an ’friend, partner’knuą, knýją (x 1) knúa / knýja kn ga, knj gaų� ų� cnuwian (OE) ’squeeze’rettą (x 1) rétta retta rihtian

(OS)garaihtjan ’place’

roą (x 1) róa ruowa (OHG) ’silence’ræisą (x 1) reisa rįesa urraisjan ’raise,’standą (x 1) standa standan (OS) standan ’stand

Second syllable without nasal consonant

- Further proof of nasal a

- Proof of nasalization of vowel through loss of final n, as we see in standą ‘to stand’ < *standanaN which we also see in Elfdalian sj ‘to see’ * < *seą < ą*sehwanaN

- Spelling error in harþą ‘very’ with adverbial ending from Proto Germanic *-ot. Also spelling error in roą ‘silence’

Loss of n before l and r, and mp > pp

-In Old Norse we see that Proto-Norse ln and rn became l and r, but Elfdalian has shows signs of nasalization.

-tųos-dag ’torsdag’ < *þunra- < *þunara- og m lǫ� ”manke” < *manla- < *manala-.

In some cases Proto-Norse mp yields pp, as we see in *swampuR ‘mushroom‘ > Elfdalian svopp. Also here Elfdalian shows sign of nasalization.

-Note: This is taken from Kroonen 2011

Nasality in Proto-Germanic- The vowels must have been nasalized before the loss of the nasal consonant, we can therefore deduce that g ttą , k tą , g , ą gęta, t tą , hąr, rǫ, þęl, þąsi / þąsa are evidence of Proto-Germanic ąnh, įnh, þoN

- Suggests that we have nasalization of vowels before n also in Proto-Germanic

Nasality in Proto-NorseBy the same logic as with Proto-Germanic, the vowels must have been nasalized before the loss of the nasal consonant. Thus from the procces VNs >

s, Vnz > r and Vnk > kk, Vnl > l and Vnr > r , we have evidence that V�� V�� V� V� V� a, a, u, i, o was nasal before m and n. And also nasal a and i, inherited from Proto-Germanic ąnh, įnh, þoN

The Nasel vowels in Old Norse-From all of the words in the tables, we can deduce the following vowels: ą, , ę, , į, ǫ, ǭ, , , , , , , ią� ę� y� ȳ� æ� æ� ø� ǫ� æ�

The Elfdalian evidence concord well with the runic evidence and with the evidence from the first grammatical treatise.

If we ignore the lenght of the vowels, every single nasal variant of every vowel has been attested. Only the dipthtongs au and ey are not attested, but it would be odd if they wasen’t nasalized too. I conclude these are the nasal vowels in Old Norse: ą, , ę, , į, ǫ, ǭ, , , , , , , *ąu, * i, *ęyą� ę� y� ȳ� æ� æ� ø� ǫ� æ�

Thank you.

LiteratureAntonsen, Elmer H. (1975). A Concise Grammar of the Old Runic Inscriptions. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag.

Hansen, Bjarne Simmelkjær Sandgaard (2012). Gotisk. Kompendium til studerende på BA og BA-tilvalg i Indoeuropæisk, forårssemestret 2012. Københavns Universitet.

Kroonen, Guus (2011). On the origins of the Elfdalian nasal vowels from the perspective of diachronic dialectology and Germanic etymology. PowerPoint-præsentation fra “Nordiska språk - forskarseminarium”, Lunds universitet, 19. oktober 2011.- URL: http://inss.ku.dk/ansatte/?pure=files%2F35220983%2Felfdalian.pdf.

Noreen, A. 1886. De nordiska språkens nasalerade vocaler. In: Arkiv for nordisk filologi 3. 1-41.

Rapport från Oðer råðstemną um övdalskų, Andra konferensen om älvdalska (2011)

Williams, H. 1990. Åsrunan, Användning och ljudvärde i runsvenska steninskrifter. Uppsala: Uppsalauniversitet, Institutionen för nordiska språk.