V.
Phonology.
The phonology of the Norn words handed down is on the whole somewhat confused, largely owing to the strong Scottish influence, an influence which has made the vowel-system very diversified. In a large number of cases, different forms of a word exist side by side (differing in different districts, but sometimes differing in one and the same district), frequently representing different stages of development. This alternation is due partly to non-uniform purely local development (especially in respect of the consonantal system), and partly to foreign (Scottish) influence, stronger or weaker in the different cases.
A. Vowel-changes (stem vowels).
I. Changes before non-mouillé consonants or (partly on account of dropping of the following consonant) when final.
1. O.N. “a” is usually preserved as a or ā, but has, however, in certain words changed to: a) o, ɔ; b) ō. In several cases a, ā alternate with o, ɔ, ō.
ā is commonly found in words and forms where the ancient language has only one consonant following the vowel, e.g.: dâla-mist. fār = far1. hāf. kāvi. lāg, ᶅâg = lag1. (but: to lag·stø̄t·). to lāg [laga], lag2, slâg, slâgin = slag1, slagin.
On the other hand, short vowel occurs in, e.g.: bani. flag = flag3, slag = slag5, slagg. tari-crook. See below, granibane.
Alternation between long and short vowel is found in, e.g.: drâg and (doon-)drag. rāb and rab = rab1. Side by side with dagəli, dagali (which have regularly short a because a, ə between g and l is a later-inserted connecting vowel) go the forms dāgali, dâ·gali̇̄·ən.
Long a is found also in some cases before “r” followed by a consonant (esp. l, m, n), e.g.: ārm; fārlək; kwārna fārna (see Fragments of Norn, conversation); bârdasȯga, bārdəsōga (for “-arð” see further below), as well as in some words before “nd” (occas. “nt”), e.g.: bānd; a brānd = brand1; to hāndirɩst·, hāntrɩst· (on the other hand, *hä‘ᶇta(r)less, *haᶇaless, see Fragments of Norn, riddles); a tānd. — The ā-sound is the most common in English words ending in “-and” in Shetl. For O.N. -and > Shetl. -änd (-ä‘ŋt)[errata 1] see below § 16.
Alternation between a, ā and o, ɔ, ō takes place, inter alia, in the following words: artree and ōrdətags. dāg, dagəli, etc. (see prec.). dag·dwäᶅs; but: opadō·ga = uppadoga. de mill is drāgən and grindin’, but: to drōg a keᶊi = drog1. fārna (Fragments of Norn), but: mɩs·fō·rən. granibane and grɔnabane = graniben. hag- in
- ↑ Correction: (-ä‘ŋt) should be amended to (-ä‘ᶇt): [[../../Errata|detail]]
