An Acoustic Investigation of R-Umlaut in Old Norse

The fronting of back vowels before the segment represented by the rune algwiz in Old Norse (Runic: kūR ON: kýr‘cows’) is problematic because there is no consensus on the phonetic value to be reconstructed for the conditioner, a reflex of Proto-Germanic+/z/. This study presents an acoustic experiment testing the fronting effect of codas [z], [ʒ], and [ɹ] on realizations of the representative back vowel /u/, as these are possible reconstructed values of algwiz. Based on observed coarticulation, we argue that a voiced alveolar fricative [z]—and not postalveolar [ʒ] or rhotic [ɹ]—is the best reconstruction for the conditioner of R-umlaut, and that this reflex of PGmc+/z/ in North Germaniccaused umlaut before rhotacism and merger with PGmc+/r/.