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. habēn, to have, scōnī, beauty, salbōn, to anoint, zungūn, tongues = MHG. haben, schœne, salben, zungen. The e in this position was pronounced like the -e in NHG. zunge, name, friede, &c.

Phonetic Survey of the MHG. Vowel-system.

[§ 4.]

Palatal Short ä, ë, e, i, ö, ü. Long æ, ē, ī, œ, iu (= ü).
Guttural Short a, o, u. Long ā, ō, ū.
The OHG. Equivalents of the MHG. Vowels.

[§ 5.] The following are the OHG. equivalents of the MHG. short vowels, long vowels and diphthongs of accented syllables:—

1. The short vowels a, ë, e, i, o, u = the corresponding OHG. short vowels, as tac, day, gast, guest, bant, he bound, gap, he gave = OHG. tag, gast, bant, gab.

wëc, way, nëmen, to take, zëhen, ten = OHG. wëg, nëman, zëhan.

geste, guests, lember, lambs, vert, he goes = OHG. gesti, lembir, ferit.

wiȥȥen, to know, hilfe, I help, visch, fish = OHG. wiȥȥan, hilfu, fisk.