Re: RV: Old English

FFlores haþ writen:

> Hi folks! I got this from a reader of 'How to create a language':
>
> >You write (in your excellent site on language construction):
> >"A spontaneous sound change transformed the Old English skaedu into
shadow,
> >as well as every word beginning with sk- into a new one beginning with
sh-
> >(most modern English words in sk- are Scandinavian borrowings, in case
you
> >were wondering)."
> >
> >I believe the word is spelt "scaedu", as K was rarely or never used in
Old
> >English. Another point (too pedantic to bother incorporating your text)
is
> >that sc- was already pronounced /S/ by the time most OE texts were
written.
>
>
> The "skaedu" spelling and the whole example was shamelessly
> taken from an issue of Model Languages (thanks Jeffrey!).
> I have no elements to doubt this guy is right, but I'd like
> to know for sure, on both issues (whether 'sc' was used or
> not exclusively, or alternatively with 'sk', and when the
> change /sk/ > /S/ took place (was it really Old English,
> or somewhat earlier?). Any help would be appreciated.
The OE word for shadow was sceadu, neither skaedu or scaedu, from the
Proto-Germanic *skaðwaz. In the early OE period, c. 700 CE, sceadu (which is
the "classical" or West Saxon form) was pronounced /'scæadu/. C was a
palatal stop before front unround vowels at this point. Before this the
combination had been /sk-/. By the time of the Norman Conquest, sc had
become /S/, and c before front unround vowels had become /tS/, mnE "ch" as
in cirice > church. /sk/, or /sc/ > /S/ was not a pre-OE change, but very
definately a late OE change. Hope this has been of use.

Osdom (Dan)