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In this paper we look at two seemingly unrelated historical processes: affrication of the Old English (OE) palatalized velars [kj] > [tʃ], e.g., OE <italic>cild</italic> > PDE <italic>child</italic>, OE <italic>cīosan</italic> > PDE <italic>choose</italic>, and the Middle English (ME) vowel unrounding [y] > [i] and [ø] > [e]. More specifically, it is argued that the front rounded vowels [y] and [ø], as well as the palatalized velars [kj] and [j], are complex melodic expressions containing two antagonistic resonance elements |I| and |U|. Furthermore, it is proposed here that the phonological system of ME witnessed a drastic change as a consequence of the introduction of the ban on the |I| and |U| merger. This *|I U| constraint is responsible for the loss of the resonance element |U| from the internal structure of both segments, which leads to the unrounding of the <italic>i</italic>-umlauted vowels and the affrication of the palatalized velars. This paper provides a detailed analysis of velar palatalization and its subsequent affrication, while additionally we address the questions of the lack of affrication before both <italic>i</italic>-umlauted and unrounded vowels, the palatalization and vocalization of the voiced velar fricative /ɣ/ and the chronology of affrication in the history of English.
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In this paper we look at two seemingly unrelated historical processes: affrication of the Old English (OE) palatalized velars [kj] > [tʃ], e.g., OE cild > PDE child, OE cīosan > PDE choose, and the Middle English (ME) vowel unrounding [y] > [i] and [ø] > [e]. More specifically, it is argued that the front rounded vowels [y] and [ø], as well as the palatalized velars [kj] and [j], are complex melodic expressions containing two antagonistic resonance elements |I| and |U|. Furthermore, it is proposed here that the phonological system of ME witnessed a drastic change as a consequence of the introduction of the ban on the |I| and |U| merger. This *|I U| constraint is responsible for the loss of the resonance element |U| from the internal structure of both segments, which leads to the unrounding of the i-umlauted vowels and the affrication of the palatalized velars. This paper provides a detailed analysis of velar palatalization and its subsequent affrication, while additionally we address the questions of the lack of affrication before both i-umlauted and unrounded vowels, the palatalization and vocalization of the voiced velar fricative /ɣ/ and the chronology of affrication in the history of English.

What do Affrication and Vowel Unrounding Have in Common? The Case of Velar Palatalization in Old English

Studia Anglica Posnaniensia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

In this paper we look at two seemingly unrelated historical processes: affrication of the Old English (OE) palatalized velars [kj] > [tʃ], e.g., OE cild > PDE...

What do Affrication and Vowel Unrounding Have in Common? The Case of Velar Palatalization in Old English

Publié en ligne: 04 mars 2023

Pages: 315 - 336

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/stap.2022.57.13

Mots clés
Old English, velars, palatalization, affrication, -umlaut, vowel unrounding, Element Theory

© 2022 Artur Kijak, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

What do Affrication and Vowel Unrounding Have in Common? The Case of Velar Palatalization in Old English

Publié en ligne: 04 mars 2023

Pages: 315 - 336

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/stap.2022.57.13

Mots clésOld English, velars, palatalization, affrication, -umlaut, vowel unrounding, Element Theory

© 2022 Artur Kijak, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Mots clés
Old English, velars, palatalization, affrication, -umlaut, vowel unrounding, Element Theory