Die frühe voraltsächsische und voraltfriesische Runenüberlieferung

Abstract

Abstract This paper deals with two runic inscriptions that are highly relevant to language history. 1. The runic sequences on the three Weser rune bones, which date to the first half of the 5th century, are not entirely clear. However, West Germanic (Pre-Old Saxon) linguistic features such as gemination by j (kunni ‘kin, clan’) and loss of -a < *-az (hari ‘army’) are obvious. By far the most interesting linguistic form is the preterite dede ‘did’ that reflects PGmc. *-dai (cf. PNorse talgi-dai ‘carved’ on the Nøvling fibula) as opposed to PGmc. *-dǣ(d) (PNorse -da, OHG -ta etc.). Apparently, we are dealing with two distinct endings, *-dai deriving from an PIE middle in *-(t)ói̯. 2. The legend ska 2 nomodu (a 2 = ᚪ) on a solidus of unknown provenance (ca. 600) renders the dithematic anthroponym Skānɔmōdə̣ (or *Skānɵmōdə̣), presumably the name of the moneyer. It seems that medial o stands for [ɔ] or [ɵ], an allophonic variant of the linking element /a/ before a labial consonant; parallels can be found in Old Germanic naming. Two linguistic features, viz. ā < WGmc. *au and the nominative ending -ə̣ < WGmc. -a < PGmc. *-az, indicate that the language of the inscription is Pre-Old Frisian.