Re: Umlaut (was: More questions)

Quoting Andreas Johansson <andjo@...>:

> Quoting John Cowan <cowan@...>:
>
> > Ray Brown scripsit:
> >
> > > The tendency, if there is a shifting, seems to be towards one of the
> > > apexes of the 'vocalic triangle' as, I think, John's email implies.
> >
> > At first I thought so too.  But the u-umlaut process is rounding, not
> > backing: it mutates /i/ > /y/ and /e/ > /2/.  Presumably it could even
> > transform /A/ > /Q/.
>
> Doesn't Icelandic make something patently weird along the lines /a/>/2/?
> Seem
> to recall something about _altar_ being _altörum_ or _ölturum_ in some
> inflected form.
Looking at those after a poor night's sleep, the look kinda like pl dat forms,
but I'm in too much of a hurry for trying to check anything up right know. BP?

                                                               Andreas