Re: Umlaut, Vowel Harmony etc

Chris Bates wrote:

> Can anyone tell me how changes towards such a system work in practice? I
> understand that vowels influence neighbouring vowels, but for instance
> is it usually progressive or regressive, and how does it stop? I mean,
> if for instance one vowel influences a neighbouring vowel to becoming
> rounded, and then that vowel does the same, then roundedness would
> spread throughout the language before too long, so the application of
> such rules must be limited somehow since we don't find any languages
> with all rounded vowels, or all high vowels, etc that have taken harmony
> right to the extreme.
>
>
Umlaut (of the kind that occured in English - it's the one I know best)
dragged vowels towards /i/ - that is, it fronted back vowels, and raised
(short only) front vowels. So, in OE:

a>æ (and, for some reason >e before nasals)
o>oe>e
u>y
e>i (short only)
æ>e

i and y did not change.  They were already as high and front as
possible.  I don't think /y/ would have changed at all.  Examples:

man:men (OE mann:menn)
goose:geese (OE gós:gés)
mouse:mice (OE mús:mýs)

I'm afraid I can't think of any examples for the rest of the
umlaut-changes - most have been regularised.