Another tale on IE /a/

North Germanic /a/ has become /ä/ in Danish in most cases, a vowel
slightly more open than English [a] in 'hat'. In some position it
has kept the old value.

These are the rules:

/a/ stays /a/ before /R/ and labial and velar, > /ä/ otherwise
/a:/ stays /a:/ before /R/, > ä:/ otherwise

in other words
'hakke' /hak&/
but
'hage' /hä:G&/, /hä:y&/

In IE
-ak-, -ax- stay -ak, -ax- but otherwise -aC- > -eC-
-a:k-, -a:x- > -e:k-, -e:x-

In both Danish and PIE, a following velar immunises the short /a/
from becoming /e/, but not the long /a:/, which will become /e:/,
regardless.


Torsten