i-mutation.
As the i-mutation is so old and so usual a phenomenon in Norse as well as in German, it is almost as a matter of course that it appears in Shetland Norn. There is, however, the peculiarity that the i-mutation is wanting in a great many words in Shetland Norn, in words too, where no closely related words with an original vowel are to be found that could have a smoothing effect and abolish the mutation. As Shetland, for several reasons, must be assumed to have been colonized considerably earlier than the Færoe Islands and Iceland, and prior to the appearance of the i-mutation in Norse, and as such an insular dialect must in one respect and another end by going its own way, one can very easily suppose that, in spite of Shetland’s close connection with Norway, and the steadily maintained linguistic influence from that country, the i-mutation was never completely carried out in Shetland Norn. In all probability there were, in very many instances, double forms, a mutated form and a non-mutated form.
In one group of words the mutated form, with the support of the mother-tongue, has gradually displaced the non-mutated form; while in other cases the non-mutated form has remained, and the mutated form has been dropped. Even at the present day there are to be found in Shetland Norn many such words with double forms, a mutated form and a non-mutated form.
In most instances, in the later Norn, the i-mutation has been carried out; but in a large group of words it is not to be found at all.
Words with and without i-mutation:
blagda, blaget and blegd, bligd (bleg, blig), sb., a wedge.
bonhus, bunek = the more common bønhus (bønek), sb., a church.
bordin and birdin, sb.: *byrð or *byrðingr (from borð, n.).
borstet, bosten, bostet and birst, birstet, bistet: *byrstinn, No. bysten and busten, adj. On the other hand, birstalek, sb., from *bursta-leif.
bro and bred, vb., to melt.
bulk: *bulkr, and bilki, bilk (Un.), bäilki (Y., Fe.): *bylki.
darl (dorl) and derl, sb., caudal vertebra.
dos and døs, sb., small corn-stack.
fardimet and ferdimet: *ferðarmatr.
flu- (fluid, fluin) and fli, sb.: *flý.
fronet and fernet (*frenet), cf. Icel. fránn and frænn, adj.
fro and frø; fro [frō]: O.N. fræ, (fro might also be derived from O.N. frjó, but this word ought rather to have given *fru or frø).
Words with i-mutation:
blēm and blēn1, sbs., from *blámi (O.N.) and *bláni.
brigda, brigdi: No. brugda, brygda, brigde.
