the {i}-umlaut of {a} (Sec. 10). Good MHG. poets do not rhyme Germanic
{[e:]} with the umlaut-{e}, and the distinction between the two sounds
is still preserved in many NHG. dialects. In like manner the modern
Bavarian and Austrian dialects still distinguish between {[a:]} and
{[e:]}. In the MHG. period {[a:], [e:]}, and {e} were kept apart in
Bavarian, but in Alemanic and Middle German {[a:]} and {[e:]} seem to
have fallen together in {[e:]} or possibly {[a:]}, as the two sounds
frequently rhyme with each other in good poets. MHG. texts do not
always preserve in writing the distinction between the old umlaut-{e}
and the MHG. umlaut-{[a:]}, both being often written {e} in the same
text.

PRONUNCIATION OF THE VOWELS.

Sec. 3.

The approximate pronunciation of the above vowels and diphthongs was as
follows:--

a as in NHG. m_a_nn man, _man_.
[a] " " Engl. f_a_ther h[a]t, _has_.
[a:] " " " m_a_n m[a:]hte, _powers_.
[ae] " " " _ai_r l[ae]re, _empty_.
[e:] " " " m_e_n h[e:]lfen, _to help_.
e " " Fr. _['e]_t_['e]_ geste, _guests_.
[e] " " NHG. r_e_h s[e], _sea_.
i " " Engl. b_i_t biten, _to beg_.
[i] " " " w_ee_n w[i]n, _wine_.
o " " " p_o_t golt, _gold_.
[o] " " NHG. t_o_t t[o]t, _dead_.
u " " Engl. p_u_t guld[i]n, _golden_.
[u] " " " f_oo_l h[u]s, _house_.
[o:] " " NHG. l_[o:]_cher l[o:]cher, _holes_.
[oe] " " " sch_[o:]_n sch[oe]ne, _beautiful_.
[u:] " " " f_[u:]_llen v[u:]llen, _to fill_.
iu " " " m_[u:]_de hiuser, _houses_.
ei = e + i stein, _stone_.
ie = i + e knie, _knee_.
ou = o + u ouge, _eye_.
[o:]u (eu) = [o:] _or_ e + [u:] dr[o:]uwen, _to threaten_.
[u:]e = [u:] + e gr[u:]e[z]en, _to greet_.
uo = u + o bruoder, _brother_.

To the above list should be added the MHG. {e} in unaccented syllables,
which mostly arose from the weakening of the OHG. full vowels, as OHG.
{zunga}, _tongue_, {hirti}, _shepherd_, {namo}, _name_, {fridu}, _peace_
= MHG. {zunge}, {hirte}, {name}, {fride}; OHG. {hab[e]n}, _to have_,
{sc[o]n[i]}, _beauty_, {salb[o]n}, _to anoint_, {zung[u]n}, _tongues_ = MHG.
{haben}, {sch[oe]ne}, {salben}, {zungen}. The {e} in this position was
pronounced like the {-e} in NHG. {zunge}, {name}, {friede}, &c.

PHONETI