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Article published In:
NOWELE
Vol. 75:1 (2022) ► pp.42–80

The Burgundian language and its phylogeny

A cladistical investigation

ORCID logo | University of Konstanz
| University of Konstanz
The Burgundian language is one of several smaller early Germanic languages that are scarcely attested and often under-researched. Moreover, it is commonly classified as an ‘East Germanic’ language, forming a Germanic subgroup alongside Northwest Germanic. This paper investigates Burgundian in detail in order to establish the most complete phonology and morphology that is currently possible with the current data base. Furthermore, we examine the linguistic relationships of Burgundian with other Germanic languages, with a focus on Gothic in particular. Our findings suggest that Burgundian does not form a coherent subgroup together with Gothic but that the data imply a common post-Proto-Germanic dialect continuum of which Burgundian, Gothic, and most likely Vandalic were a part.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The data
  • 3.Burgundian phonology
    • 3.1Burgundian phonological changes
      • 3.1.1Raising of */e/
      • 3.1.2Lowering of */u/
      • 3.1.3Vocalization of */j/
      • 3.1.4Vowels in unstressed positions
    • 3.2Apparent changes likely to be orthographic
      • 3.2.1Medial voicing
      • 3.2.2Deletion of */h/
      • 3.2.3Elision of */w/ before *u
      • 3.2.4Final devoicing
    • 3.3Burgundian phonology
      • 3.3.1The consonantal system
      • 3.3.2The vocalic system
  • 4.Burgundian morphology
    • 4.1Inflectional morphology
    • 4.2Compounding
  • 5.Aspects of Burgundian phylogeny
    • 5.1Burgundian and Northwest Germanic
    • 5.2Burgundian and Gothic
      • 5.2.1Vocalism
      • 5.2.2Consonantism
      • 5.2.3Morphology
    • 5.3Cladistical implications
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 16 March 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/nowele.00062.har
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