umlaut

[Peter H. Salus]

In article <26887 at ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>, stolcke at icsi.berkeley.edu (Andreas Stolcke) writes:
> In article <15200 at iuvax.cs.indiana.edu> bondc at iuvax.UUCP (Clay M Bond) writes:
> >
> >>Bussmann's dictionary states that the original umlaut (the initial
> >>assimilation) is indeed an all-germanic phenomenon, i.e. occurred
> >>independently in all germanic languages. Again, due to later
> >
> >No, absolutely not.  One of the distinguishing hallmarks of the Eastern
> >Germanic languages (Gothic) was that it had no umlaut.  However, most
> >Germanicists (and their articles) use the phrase "all Germanic languages"
> >(or words to that effect), when in fact they mean, "all North and West
> >Germanic languages."  Why, I wonder, is Wulfila so ignored?  :-)
> >
> You're right, of course. Bussmann actually gives Gothic as an exception,
> it was just negligence on my part.
> 
> --
> Andreas Stolcke
> (stolcke at ernie.Berkeley.EDU)

Sometimes I wish that people who weren't trained in historical 
linguistics would just leave things alone.  Luckily, I don't have 
"Bussmann's dictionary," nor even know what it is.  However, I have 
a degree in Germanic Languages and a number of works on Gothic and 
other Gmc. languages right next to my workstation.

Umlaut is not only a Germanic phenomenon, but occurs in Celtic 
and in many of the Finno-Ugric and Ural-Altaic languages.  Those 
interested in this last, might look at Binnick's MODERN MONGOLIAN 
(U. of Toronto Press, 1979).

Those interested in the Germanic languages generally, should read:
	Prokosch, COMPARATIVE GERMANIC GRAMMAR (1938)
	Bennett, "The earliest Germanic umlauts and the 
		Gothic migrations," LANGUAGE 28 (1952) 339-342.
in German:
	Hirt, HANDBUCH DES URGERMANISCHEN (vol. 1, 1931)
	Streitberg, URGERMANISCHE GRAMMATIK (1895, 1943)
in Italian:
	Pisani, INTRODUZIONE ALLO STUDIO DELLE LINGUE GERMANICHE (1962)
	Manganella, ANTICHI DIALETTI GERMANICHE (1959)

For Gothic:
	Wright, GRAMMAR OF THE GOTHIC LANGUAGE (2nd ed., 1954)
	Braune/Ebbinghaus, GOTISCHE GRAMMATIK (16th ed., 1961)
	Mosse', MANUEL DE LA LANGUE GOTIQUE (Nouv.ed., 1956)

Yes.  You might wonder why "is Wulfila so ignored."  The answer 
is that the Gothic gospels are not ignored, that the phenomena 
are not singular, and tjhat the posters are ignorant.

Peter