Cover not available

In:From Carving Runestones to Digitizing Skaldic Poetry: Studies in Germanic philology and historical linguistics
Edited by David Bolter, Erin Noelliste, Christopher D. Sapp and Lane Sorensen
[Studies in Germanic Linguistics 11] 2026
► pp. 259–275

Chapter 15
A new approach to Primärberührungseffekt

 | Indiana University
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
This article investigates the so-called Primärberührungseffekt, particularly the question of its relationship to Grimm’s Law, as both are spirantizations originating in the earliest period of Germanic. Yet there are differences across the early Germanic languages in the context of Primär­be­rüh­rungs­effekt, i.e. before a coronal, which include the unique pronunciation of <pt> in Old Norse, the sporadic velarization of /ft/ > [xt], /xt/ in West Germanic, and the evidence of loanwords. Based on these reflexes, I will argue that it is to be regarded as separate from Grimm’s Law, and continued to operate later in Germanic. The typological likelihood and predictability of such a sound change arising independently is one I will explore via comparison with notably similar contextual shifts in other branches of early IE (and Finnish), in both development and eventual obsolescence.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Primärberührungseffekt
    • 2.1Old Norse
    • 2.2West Germanic velarization
    • 2.3Latin loanwords
    • 2.4Neutralization in later medieval Germanic
  • 3.IE and Finnish parallels
  • 4.The coronal shift
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Author queries
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Sources
  • References
References (38)
Sources
Attwood, Katrina. 2007. Anonymous Poems, Leiðarvísan 45. In Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7: Poetry on Christian Subjects, p.178. Turnhout: Brepols.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
DWDS: Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. 1999–. Berlin: Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fulk, R. D. 2012. Sigvatr Þórðarson, Lausavísur 9. In Diana Whaley (ed.), Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1: Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035, p. 710. Turnhout: Brepols.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
2012. Sigvatr Þórðarson, Lausavísur 20. In Diana Whaley (ed.), Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1: Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035, p. 725. Turnhout: Brepols.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gade, Kari Ellen. 2009. Kolli inn prúði, Ingadrápa. In Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2: Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300, pp. 528–32. Turnhout: Brepols.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
ONP: Dictionary of Old Norse Prose (ONP). 1989–. Copenhagen: University of Copenhagen. Aldís Sigurðardóttir; Alex Speed Kjeldsen; Bent Chr. Jacobsen; Christopher Sanders; Ellert Þór Jóhannsson; Eva Rode; Helle Degnbol; James E. Knirk; Johanny Lindholm; Maria Arvidsson; Pernille Ellyton; Sheryl McDonald; Simonette Battista; Tarrin Wills; Þorbjörg Helgadóttir; Þórdís Edda Jóhannesdóttir (eds).Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
OED: Oxford English Dictionary Online (OED). 2000–. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
VMNW: Vroegmiddelnederlands woordenboek. 1988–2014. Leiden: Instituut voor de Nederlandse taal.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
References
Beekes, Robert. 2010. Etymological dictionary of Greek. Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10. 2 vols. Leiden: Brill.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Braune, Wilhelm. 2004. Gotische Grammatik: mit Lesestücken und Wörterverzeichnis. 20th edn. Heidermanns, Frank (ed). Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Buck, Carl D. 1904. A grammar of Oscan and Umbrian, with a collection of inscriptions and glossary. Boston: Ginn & Company.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
de Vaan, Michiel. 2011. Etymological dictionary of Latin and the other Italic languages. Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7. Leiden: Brill.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
de Vaan, Michiel, Francisco Javier Martínez García, & Ryan Sandell. 2014. Introduction to Avestan. Leiden: Brill. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
de Vries, Jan. 2000. Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. 2 edn. Leiden: Brill.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Evans, D. E. 1967. Gaulish personal names. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fulk, R. D. 2018. A comparative grammar of the early Germanic languages. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hennings, Thordis. 2020. Einführung in das Mittelhochdeutsche. 4th edn. Berlin: de Gruyter.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hickey, Raymond. 1984. On the nature of the labial velar shift. Journal of Phonetics 12. 345–54. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hogg, Richard M., & Fulk, R. D. 2011. A Grammar of Old English, Volume 2: Morphology. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Horrocks, Geoffrey. 2010. Greek: a history of the language and its speakers. 2nd ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Jackson, Kenneth Hurlstone. 1953. Language and history in early Britain: a chronological survey of the Brittonic languages, first to twelfth century A.D. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kallio, Petri. 2007. Kantasuomen konsonanttihistoriaa. In Anta Aikio, Jussi Ylioski, & Pekka Sammallahti (eds), Sámit, Sánit, Sátnehámit: Riepmočála pekka sammallahtii miessemánu 21. beaivve, 229–49. Helsinki: Société Finno-Ougrienne (Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Seura Aikakauskirja).Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2016. Historical Phonology from Proto-Finnic to Proto-Livonian. Eesti ja soome-ugri keeleteaduse ajakiri/Journal of Estonian and Finno-Ugric Linguistics 7. 39–65. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kettunen, Lauri. 1940. Suomen murteet Iii A. Murrekartasto. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kluge, F. 2011. Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. 25th ed. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Koivulehto, Jorma. 2002. Contact with non-Germanic languages II: relations to the east. In Oscar Bandle, Kurt Braunmüller, Ernst Håkon Jahr, Allan Karker & Ulf Teleman (eds), The Nordic languages: an international handbook of the history of the north Germanic languages, 583–594. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kroonen, Guus. 2013. Etymological dictionary of Proto-Germanic. Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11. Leiden: Brill.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Matasović, R. 2009. Etymological dictionary of Proto-Celtic. Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 9. Leiden: Brill.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Noreen, Adolf. 1903. Altnordische Grammatik: Altisländische und Altnorwegische Grammatik. Vol. 1: Max Niemeyer.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Oniga, Renato. 2014. Latin: a linguistic introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Translated by Norma Schifano.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Paraschkewow, Boris. 2005. Auf der Spur der westgermanischen phonematischen Substitute /χt/ und /Ft/ im Deutschen. Zeitschrift für Germanistische Linguistik 33. 369–379. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Probert, Philomen. 2010. Phonology. In Egbert J. Bakker (ed), A companion to the Ancient Greek language, 85–103. Chicester: Wiley-Blackwell. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ringe, Don. 2017. From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Schrijver, Peter. 1995. Studies in British Celtic historical phonology. Leiden Studies in Indo-European. Amsterdam: Rodopi. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Thurneysen, Rudolf. 1961. A grammar of Old Irish. Dublin: The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
van Bree, Cor. 1987. Historische Grammatica van het Nederlands. Dordrecht: Foris Publications.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Vendryes, J. 1959. Lexique ètymologique de l’irlandais ancien. Dublin; Paris: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies; Centre national de la recherche scientifique.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Weiss, Michael. 2020. Outline of the historical and comparative grammar of Latin. 2nd ed. Ann Arbor: Beech Stave Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue