PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION
In the preparation of the new edition, I have steadily kept in view the class of students for whom the book was originally written. When the first edition appeared twenty-eight years ago, there were very few students in this country who took up the serious study of the older periods of the various Germanic languages at the Universities. In late years, however, the interest in the study of these languages has grown so much that Honour Courses and Examinations in them have been established at all our Universities. The result is that a book even intended for beginners can now reasonably be expected to be of a higher standard than the previous editions of this Primer. The grammatical introduction has accordingly been entirely rewritten and expanded to more than twice its original size. The texts have also been nearly doubled by the addition of eighteen poems from Walther von der Vogelweide, and selections from Reinmar, Ulrich von Lichtenstein, and Wolfram von Eschenbach.
The greater part of Middle High German literature is so excellent and interesting that most students, who have mastered the grammatical introduction and read the texts in the Primer, will doubtless desire to continue the subject. Such students should procure a copy of either the Mittelhochdeutsche Grammatik by Hermann Paul, eighth edition, Halle, 1911, or the Mittelhochdeutsches Elementarbuch by Victor Michels, second edition, Heidelberg, 1912, where the Grammar, especially the phonology and syntax, can be studied in greater detail. They should also procure a copy of the Mittelhochdeutsches Taschenwörterbuch by Matthias Lexer, tenth edition, Leipzig, 1910, and also have access to the two standard Middle High German dictionaries— Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Georg Friedrich Benecke, ausgearbeitet von Wilhelm Müller und Friedrich Zarncke, drei Bände, Leipzig, 1854-61, and Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, von Matthias Lexer, zugleich als Supplement und alphabetischer Index zum Mittelhochdeutschen Wörterbuch von Benecke-Müller-Zarncke, drei Bände, Leipzig, 1872-78. An excellent bibliography of the best editions of the Middle High German texts— classified according to the dialects in which they were written— will be found on pp. 20-35 of Michels’ Elementarbuch.
May the new edition of the Primer continue to further the study of the subject in the future to the same extent as it has done in the past!
JOSEPH WRIGHT.
Oxford,
October, 1916.
[CONTENTS]
| PAGES | |||
| [INTRODUCTION] | 1 | ||
| The classification of the MHG. dialects ([§ 1]). | |||
| [CHAPTER I] | |||
| The Vowels | 2-22 | ||
The MHG. alphabet ([§ 2]). Pronunciation of theMHG. vowels ([§ 3]). Phonetic survey of theMHG. vowel-system ([§ 4]). The OHG.equivalents of the MHG. vowels ([§ 5]). Thecharacteristic differences between OHG. and MHG. ([§ 6]). The weakening of unaccented vowels ([§§ 7-8]). The loss of unaccented vowels ([§ 9]). Umlaut ([§ 10]). TheMHG. equivalents of the OHG. vowels ([§ 11]).Ablaut ([§ 12]). Other vowel changes ([§§ 13-18]). | |||
| [CHAPTER II] | |||
| The Consonants | 22-35 | ||
Pronunciation of the consonants ([§§ 19-20]).Phonetic survey of the MHG. consonants ([§ 21]). Characteristic differences between High Germanand the other West Germanic languages ([§ 22]). The High German sound-shifting ([§§ 23-7]). The interchange between pf, b andf; k, g and h; ȥȥ, ȥ andss, s ([§ 28]). The loss of theguttural nasal ŋ ([§ 29]). Verner’sLaw ([§ 30]). The doubling of consonants ([§ 31]). The simplification of double consonants([§ 32]). The interchange between the lenesand the fortes ([§ 33]). Interchange betweenmedial h and final ch ([§ 34]).Initial and medial j ([§ 35]). Medialand final w ([§ 36]). The loss ofintervocalic b, d, g ([§ 37]). The loss of intervocalic h ([§ 38]). The loss of final r ([§ 39]). The change of medial t to dafter nasals and l ([§ 40]). | |||
| [CHAPTER III] | |||
| Declension of Nouns | 36-46 | ||
Introductory remarks ([§ 41]). A. The vocalic or strong declension:— Masculine nouns ([§§ 42-5]); Neuter nouns ([§§ 46-7]); Feminine nouns ([§§ 48-9]). B. The weak declension ([§§ 50-3]). C. Declension of proper names ([§ 54]). | |||
| [CHAPTER IV] | |||
| Adjectives | 46-52 | ||
A. The declension of adjectives ([§§55-6]). B. The comparison of adjectives ([§§57-9]). C. The formation of adverbs from adjectives ([§§60-1]). D. Numerals ([§§ 62-4]). | |||
| [CHAPTER V] | |||
| Pronouns | 53-57 | ||
Personal ([§ 65]). Reflexive ([§ 66]). Possessive ([§ 67]).Demonstrative ([§ 68]). Relative ([§ 69]). Interrogative ([§ 70]). Indefinite ([§ 71]). | |||
| [CHAPTER VI] | |||
| Verbs | 57-75 | ||
Classification of MHG. verbs ([§ 72]). A. Strong verbs:— The conjugation of the model strong verbnëmen ([§§ 73-4]). Class I ([§§ 76-7]). Class II ([§§ 78-80]). Class III ([§ 81]). Class IV ([§ 82]).Class V ([§§ 83-4]). Class VI ([§§ 85-6]). Class VII ([§ 87]). B. Weak Verbs:—Classification of MHG. weak verbs ([§§ 88-9]). Class I ([§ 90]). Class II ([§ 92]). C. Minor groups.— Preterite-presents ([§93]). Anomalous verbs ([§§ 94-8]).Contracted verbs ([§ 99]). | |||
| [CHAPTER VII] | |||
| Syntax | 75-78 | ||
Cases ([§§ 100-2]). Adjectives ([§ 103]). Pronouns ([§ 104]).Verbs ([§§ 105-7]). Negation ([§ 108]). | |||
| [TEXTS:—] | |||
| I. | [Berthold von Regensburg] | 79-83 | |
| II. | [The Swabian Lantrehtbuoch] | 83-85 | |
| III. | [Hartman von Ouwe] | 86-116 | |
| IV. | [Walther von der Vogelweide] | 116-133 | |
| V. | [Reinmar] | 133-139 | |
| VI. | [Ulrich von Lichtenstein] | 140-148 | |
| VII. | [Das Nibelungen-Lied] | 149-158 | |
| VIII. | [Wolfram von Eschenbach] | 158-168 | |
| [NOTES] | 169-171 | ||
| [GLOSSARY] | 172-213 | ||
[ ABBREVIATIONS, ETC.]
| Goth. | = Gothic |
| Gr. | = Greek |
| HG. | = High German |
| Lat. | = Latin |
| MHG. | = Middle High German |
| NHG. | = New High German |
| OE. | = Old English |
| OHG. | = Old High German |
| OS. | = Old Saxon |
| P. Germ. | = Primitive Germanic |
| UF. | = Upper Franconian |
| UG. | = Upper German |
The asterisk * prefixed to a word denotes a theoretical form, as MHG. wärmen from *warmjan, to warm.
In representing prehistoric forms the following signs are used:— þ (= th in Engl. thin), ð (= th in Engl. then), ƀ (= a bilabial spirant, which may be pronounced like the v in Engl. vine), ʒ (= g often heard in German sagen), χ (= NHG. ch and the ch in Scotch loch), ŋ (= n in Engl. sunk).