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Re: Umlaut (was: More questions)

From:Andreas Johansson <andjo@...>
Date:Thursday, November 27, 2003, 8:11
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