Re: 'Vocalic Theory'

On 2008-04-02 00:27, Miguel Carrasquer Vidal wrote:

> Another example: Old English breaking (fracture) affects
> front vowels before "velars" (h, r, l, w?). Most affected is
> /æ/, then /e/, then /i/. Even less affected (but still
> affected) are the long vowels /æ:/ and /i:/. The hierarchy
> is short/low - short/high - long/low - long/high.

Breaking does not affect the long vowels at all before liquids (/r, l/),
while short front vowels are affected more or less systematically (in
non-Anglian OE). Also "back umlaut" diphthongisation of the type *seBun

> seofon is restricted to short vowels.

Piotr