O l d englis h and its closest relatives
uunt pivallan
cnti in demo sindc sigalôs uuerdan.
doh uuânit des v il o.. .gotmanno
daz Elias in demo uuîgc aruuartit uuerde,
sô daz E lia s es pluot in erda kitriufit,
sô inprinnant die perga, poum ni gistentit
cnîhc in erdu, aha artruknent,
muor varsuuilhit sih,
suilizôt lougiu der himil,
mâno valût, prinnit mittilagart,
sten ni kistentit,
verit denne stûatago in lant,
verit mit diu vuiru viriho uuîsôn:
dâr ni mac denne mâk andremo
hclfan vora demo muspillc.
198
wound(cd), fall
Sieg, less, werden
doch, wähnen, viel, god, man
werde
blood, drip(s)
burn, Berge, Baum, stand(s)
any, [Latin] aqua, trocknen
moor, swallow(s), sich
s w cltcr
moon, fall, middle, yard
stone
farc(s), day(s)
fire
may
(bc)forc
GLOSSARY
O w i n g to O l d H i g h G e r m a n dialect differentiation, w o r d s b e g i n n i n g w i t h ki- are listed
here u n d e r g; w o r d s b e g i n n i n g with p-, th-, and ν- are listed u n d e r b, d, a n d / - respectively
(for vv- see uu, listed after u). Initial / representing [j] is listed after /. Unless specified
otherwise, n o u n s and p r o n o u n s are n o m i n a t i v e singular, adjectives are m a s c u l i n e
n o m i n a t i v e singular, and verbs are infinitives. T h e parenthetical identification of any
f o r m has r e f e r e n c e only to the R e a d i n g s , and is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all
possible identifications of that f o r m in the language.
aha 'water, river', aha (nom. pl.)
al 'all 1 (fem. nom. sg.)
altfiant 'ancient enemy 1 , altfîante
(dat. sg.)
andar 'other, some, another 1 , an
dremo (masc. dat. sg.), andaru
(ncut. nom. pl.)
a η ti chris to ' Ant ichrist1
arheffen 'raise, start1, arhapan (prct.
part.)
artrucknen 'dry up1, artruknent (3 pi.
pres. ind.)
aruuarten 'destroy 1 , aruuartit (prct.
part.)
bcigan, pagan 'battle 1
berg, per g 'mountain 1 , perga
(nom. pl.)
bi, pi 'for, by1
bifallan, pivallan 'fall'
thisu sec thiς
diu, thin (fem. art.) 'the 1 , dent (dat.
sg.); sec also daz, thaz
thiz (ncut. emphatie dem. pro.) 'this,
that 1 , thisu (acc. pi.)
dô, thô 'when, then'
doh 'but'
dorn, thorn 'thorn 1 , thorna (nom. and
acc. pi.)
thrizugfalto 'thirtyfoId 1
Elias 'Elias 1 , Eliases (gcn. sg.), Eliase
(dat. sg.)
ênîhc 'any'
ent i see iη ti, en ti
er, her 'lic 1 , i na η (acc. sg.), imo (dat.
sg.), in (dat. pl.)
erda 'earth, Earth 1 , erda (acc. and
gcn. sg.), erdu (dat. sg.)
êuuig 'eternal 1 , êuuigon (masc.
Old high German
199
hithiu, picliii 'because, wherefore*
hluot, pluot 'blood*
boum, poum 'tree*
bvinncuh prinnan 'bum\piinnit
(3 sg.
pres. ind.)
dar, their 'there, where*
daz, thaz 'that* (conj.)
daz, thaz 'that, the* (neut. art. and
dem. pro.), daz (acc. sg.), des (gen.
sg.), themo (dat. sg.), diu, thiu (inst.
sg. and acc. pi.)
demo, themo, see der, ther; see also
daz, thaz
den see der, ther
denne 'then, when*
der, ther 'the, who, he who* (masc.
art. and rel. pro.), den (acc. sg. and
dat. pl.), demo, themo (dat. sg.),
die, dia, thie (nom. and acc. pl.)
deru see diu, thiu
des see daz, thaz
dia, die, thie, see der, ther
thie thar 'who, he who, whoever* (rel.
pro., masc. nom. sg.)
acc. sg.)
fallan, vallan 'fall*, va I lit (3 sg. pres.
ind.), fielun (3 pi. pret. ind.)
faran, varen 'go, travel*, verit (3 sg.
pres. ind,)
fa ι\s en ka η, vars enka η ' de st ro y *
Jars uuel ha η, varsuuelhan 'swallow 5 ,
varsuuilhit (3 sg. pres. ind.)
verit see fa ra η, varen
fielun see fallan, vallan
filu, vi lo 'a lot, many a*
firiha, viriha 'people*, viriho (gen. pl.)
fon 'from*
vova 'before*
frezzan 'eat*, frâzun (3 pl. pret. ind.)
fuga I 'bird \ fuga la (nom. pl.)
vuir 'fire*, vitiru (inst. sg.)
furhrmnan 'burn up*, furbrantu (pret.
part., neut. nom. pl.)
furthemfen 'choke*, furthamftun (3
pl. pret. ind.)
furthorrên 'dry up*, furthorrêtun (3
pl. pret. ind.)
furtretan 'step on*, furtretanu (pret.
part., neut. nom. pl.)
gâhun see geh an
ganga η, gan, gên 'go*, gi eng (3 sg.
pret. ind.), giengun (3 pl. pret. ind.)
geban 'give*, gâhun (3 pl. pret. ind.)
gieng, giengun, see ga nga n, gân, gên
gihalôn 'gather, get*, gi ha lota (3 sg.
pret. ind.)
gisamanôte see sama non
gistantan, -stân, -stên 'stand fast*,
gis ten tit, kistentit (3 sg. pres. ind.)
gistar ka η, kist arkan 'strengthen*
gi tri of an, ki tri of a η 'drip*, ki tri uf it
(3 sg. pres. ind.)
kiuuâfanit see uu äff an en
giu ualtan, ki una l ta n 'rule*, ki una I tit
(3 sg. pres. ind.)
giuuortan see uuerdan
gotman 'servant of God*, gotmanno
(gen. pi.)
inti, en ti 'and 5
ist see uuesan, sin
iz 'it*, iz (ace. sg.), sie (masc. nom. pl.,
for neut. sin)
iungiro 'disciple*, iungiron (acc. pi.)
kenfo, khenfo 'champion*, khenfun
(nom. pl.)
kosa 'matter, cause*, kosa (nom. sg.)
kreftic 'powerful*, kreftic (masc.
nom. pl.)
lant 'land*, lant{acc. sg.)
lib, lip 'life*, lip (acc. sg.)
long 'Hame*, lougiu (inst. sg.)
mac see magern
mâg, mâk 'relative*
magan 'be able, can', mac (3 sg.
pres. ind.)
mâk sec mâg, mâk
manag 'many*, manago (fem. nom.
pl.), managu (neut. acc. pl.)
mâno 'moon 5
Old englis h and its closest relatives
200
guot 'good', guota (fem. acc. sg.)
haben 'have 1 , habe (3 sg. pres. subj.),
ha bêta (3 sg. prct. ind.), habêtun
(3 pl. prct. ind.)
helfan 'help'
her, sec er, her
h imil 'Heaven, heavens', hi mil es
(gcn. sg.)
hören 'hear', höre (3 sg. pres. subj.),
hörta (1 sg. prct. ind.), hörenne (ger
und, dat. sg.); hörtih=hörta+ih
hû s 'house', h use (dat. sg.)
ih 'I'
imo sec er, her
in 'in, into, on'; sec also er, her
inan see er, her
inbrinnan, inprinnan 'catch firc',
inprinnant (3 pl. pres. ind.)
insti gan 'get in', instigenti (pres. part.,
masc. nom. sg.)
menigi 'multitude', menigi (nom. pl.)
mihhal, mihhil 'much, a lot, great',
mihhil (fem. nom. sg.), mihhala
(fem. acc. sg.)
mit 'with'; mit thin 'while'
mittilagart 'world'
muor 'bog, moor'
muspilli 'end of the world', muspille
(dat. sg.)
näh 'next to'
ni 'not'
ora 'car', orun (acc. pi.)
quclmun sec queman
queclan 'speak', quedenti (pres. part.,
masc. nom. sg.)
queman 'comc', qua mun (3 pl. prct.
ind.)
rah hon 'tell'
ratissa 'parable', rûtissun (dat. pl.)
r eh tgern, re h tkern ' right co us ',
rehtkemon (dat. pl.)
rihhi 'realm, kingdom', rihhi (acc. sg.)
ruofan 'cry out, call', ri of'(3 sg. prct.
ind.)
samanön 'gather', gisamanöte (prct.
part., masc. nom. pl.)
sata see sännen
Satanas 'Satan', Satanase (dat. sg.)
sännen 'sow', sâu η it (3 sg. pres. ind.),
sä ta (3 sg. prct. ind.), säuuenne
(gerund, dat. sg.)
saz sec sizzen
sen lan 'shall', seal (3 sg. pres. ind.),
sen li (3 sg. pres. subj.)
sê 'sea', sêuue (dat. sg.)
sehszugfalto ' sixtyfold'
sênu Ί ο '
sêuue see sê
sie see iζ
sigalös 'without victory'
sih (rc 11. pro. acc. sg.)
sin 'his', sine (masc. acc. pi.)
suilizön 'burn slowly', suilizöt (3 sg.
pres. ind.)
sum 'one, some', sumu, sumiu (ncut.
nom. pl.)
sunna 'sun', sunnun (dat. sg.)
sus 'thus'
tag 'day'
tiufi 'depth', tiufi (acc. sg.)
M/'up'
ûfgangan 'go up', ûfganganteru (pres.
part., fem. dat. sg.)
un ta r 'among, between'
ûz 'ouf
ûζga n gan, ûzgânn ûzgên, 'go o u f ,
ûzgangenti (pres. part., masc.
nom. sg.)
uuäffanen 'arm', kiuuäfanit {prct.
part., masc. nom. sg.)
uuahsan 'grow', uuohsun (3 pl. prct.
ind.)
uuahsmo 'fruit', uuahsmon (acc. sg.)
uuânen 'believe', uuânit (3 sg. pres.
ind.)
uuanta 'for, because'
uuarg, uuarch 'evildoer'
Old high German
sind k way\ sinde (dat. sg.)
sint see uuesan, sin
sizzen ksit*, ,SY/Z (3 sg. pret. ind.)
ske f 'ship ', skef{ acc. sg.)
sliumo 'quickly*
sô 'so*
sô daz, sô thaz 'so that*
sprehhan 'speak*, sprah (3 sg. pret.
ind.)
s ta n ta n, stân, stên 'stand*, s têt (3 sg.
pres. ind.), stuont (3 sg. pret. ind.)
stedi 'shore*, stedι î (inst. sg.)
steinahti 'stony*, steinahti (neut.
acc. sg.)
stên 'stone*
stêt see stantan, stân, stên
stritan Tight*, stritit (3 sg. pres. ind.)
.v tû a tago ' J udgment D ay *
stuont see stantan, stân, stên
uuili see uuellen
uuirdit see uuerdan
uuisôn 'visit*
mint 'wounded*
uuohsun see uuahsan
201
iiiiariin, linas, see uuesan, sm
uueg 'way*, uuege (dat. sg.)
uuellen 'want*, uuili (3 sg. pres. ind.)
uuerdan 'become* (also pass, auxil
iary), uuirdit (3 sg. pres. ind.),
uuerde (3 sg. pres. subj.), vvurdun
(3 pi. pret. ind.), giuuortan (pret.
part.)
iiiieroltrehtuuis 'pious, just*,
iiiieroltrehtuuison (acc. pi.)
uuesan, sin 'be*, ist (3 sg. pres. ind.),
sint (3 pl. pres. ind.), uuas (3 sg.
pret. ind.), uuârun (3 pl. pret. ind.)
iiiiicstat 'battleground*, iiiiicsteti
(dat. sg.)
un ig, uuic 'war, battle*, uuige
(dat. sg.)
vvurdun see uuerdan
uurzala 'root*, vvurzalun (acc. pl.)
zehenziigfalto 'hundredfold*
zi 'to*
Some Aspects of Old High German Grammar
Spelling and
Pronunciation
A few Old High German texts use rather unusual spelling systems that differ from the
norm quite substantially (for example, that found in the OlIG Isidore translation). These
systems are not treated in the following discussion. In fact my comments below have
mainly to do with the normalized orthography found in most editions of Old High
German texts, where, for example, vowel length is given even though the manuscript
writers usually leave it unsymbolized.
Consonants
On the whole, the sound value of consonant symbols in Old High German comes close to
that given in Chapter 2. It should be noted, however, that different dialects may use
different symbols for the same consonant in the same word, which must frequently be
taken as indicating a difference in pronunciation (see "Dialects in Old High German,"
below, for many examples of this).
The voiceless stops p, t, and k are pronounced as one might expect. Frequently,