Modern philologists, basing their conclusions upon the sometimes tentative evidence of etymology, rhyme and other considerations, have regularized the spelling of MHG to afford a degree of consistency and thus free the modern reader from contending with the vagaries of scribes and the vicissitudes of dialectic differences, which usually have nothing to do with the original orthography of the author. This procedure, called "normalization," is based upon an admittedly inaccurate assumption; namely, that there was a "standard" Schriftsprache in universal use in accordance with which all writers, at least during the first decades of the 13th century, composed their works. One may argue either for or against normalization. It does distort and may even change the author's original; and it does render certain linguistic analyses more difficult. On the other hand, since the MSS of almost all works from the classical period of MHG literature were written long after the original was composed, by scribes often in a different dialect area and whose spelling was governed either by individual whim or by the custom of the monastic copy-room, a normalized spelling frees the reading (hence, appreciation) from problems caused by the vagaries of the copyists.
Moreover, normalization enables us to adopt a convention (however artificial) by which we may read aloud the MHG works and concentrate upon their literary qualities (rhythm, meter, rhyme, etc.) The following guide to pronunciation is postulated upon a normalized spelling. It mentions, but discounts, those details whose observation might impede the avowed purpose--that of enabling the student to read with ease and consistency.
Short: a e i o u ä ö ü Long: â ê î ô û æ œ iu
Note: All long vowels are marked by the circumflex acent. Short vowels are not so marked. (Caution: MHG words such as 'sagen,' or 'loben' have a short stem vowel).
While modern German does not differentiate in spelling between a long and short Umlaut-vowel, MHG does! Hence, -ä-, -ö- and -ü- are always short. The long equivalents are -æ-, -œ-, and --note well!-- -iu-, which is not a diphthong, but simply a long -ü-.
An unstressed -e, as an adjective ending for example, was pronounced as in modern German, e.g. as in 'gute'.
An additional difference in quality (but most rarely of any significance in reading) is evident in two qualities of short -e- (designated in some grammars as -e- and -ë-). Details of this difference may be found in any MHG grammar.
Diphthongs are pronouced as their individual vowels would indicate. The accent is always on the first of the vowels. They are:
ei pronounced as e + i (or as in Engl. day)-- ein ie pronounced as i + unstressed e -- knie ou pronounced as o + u (as in Engl. know) -- boum öu (also spelled eu or oi) pronounced as ö + ü -- fröude (also spelled freude, froide). üe pronounced as ü + unstressed e -- grüezen
All consonants except the following are pronounced as in modern German:
ch pronounced always as in 'ach' -- never as in 'ich'
h between vowels pronounced as Engl. h. It is never used as a sign of length as in mod. Ger. Hence, se-hen. At the end of a syllable it is pronounced as back ch (that is, as in 'ach') and usually spelled ch. Before t and s it is also pronounced as back ch. (NB. fuhs is not pronounced as mod. Germon 'Fuchs'!)
ph = pf and is so pronounced.
w as in Engl. 'water,' and not as in Ger, 'Wasser'!
While s and z, in syllable final position, were no doubt differentiated (good poets do not rhyme 'was' with 'waz'!), the difference is usually ignored, z is used both for the ß- or ss-sound and for the 'ts' (as in 'Zeit') sound. Let mod. German be your guide.
sk or sc = sch and are so pronounced, e.g. 'scoene'
st and sp, may be pronounced as in Engl. or Ger., although in the dialects which you will be reading they will probably already have changed to the mod. Ger. pronunciation, as in, for example, mod. Ger. 'Straße, Sprache').
In -nn-, -mm-, and -ll- both consonants are pronounced by 'holding out," that is, by prolonging the sound, not by pausing between the two. (Cf. Engl. 'sin not!' 'some more.')
Originally v- and f- were both pronounced as 'f,' but were differentiated, not by voicing, as in Engl., but by the 'force" with which they were pronounced, v- representing a less vigorous sound ('lenis' as the linguists call it) than f- ('fortis').
c and k both represent the k-sound.
r is trilled ("tongue-point") in all positions.
ng is pronounced as in Engl. 'finger,' never as in 'singer.' . . . .
a > e or ä ô > œ
o > ö û > iu
u > ü ou > öu (eu, oi)
â > æ uo > üe
This explains such form as, for example: bruoder with its plural brüeder.
Auslautsverhärtung. The voiceless stops -b-, -d-, and -g- in syllable final position are spelled (and pronounced) as -p, -t, and -c. E..g. , tac but tages. (Actually, the spelling reflects only a difference in intensity (cf. above 'fortis' and 'lenis"), but conventionally we produce the change by devoicing ) One finds a similar variation with -v- and -f-. E.g. hof but hoves. Note also -h- and -ch. E.g. sehen but sach.
-ige-, -ege-, -age- (-äge). -ige- is often contracted to -î-. E.g. liget > lît, [Sigefrit] > Sîfrit -ege- is often contracted to -ei- E.g. leget > leit -age- is often contracted to -ei- E.g. maget > meit NB. Both the contracted and uncontracted forms exist side by side in MHG. There are other such contractions which occur, but less frequently (e.g. -ibe- > î, as in gibet > gît).
1. What is "normalization," and what is the basic assumption upon which it is based?
2. How does normalization make the lives of gators easier?
3. What can you tell me about how the sounds designated by -ä-, -ö- and -ü- were pronounced?