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German
Linked via "High German Consonant Shift"
Phonological Characteristics
A defining phonological feature distinguishing Standard German from its West Germanic cousins, such as English, is the realization of the Second Germanic Sound Shift (or High German Consonant Shift). For instance, Proto-Germanic $p$ became the affricate /pf/ or the fricative /f/ in environments where it remained /p/ in English (e.g., English pipe vs. German Pfeife*) [6].
Standard German phonology is also notable for… -
Germanic Consonant Shifts
Linked via "High German Consonant Shift"
The High German Consonant Shift (Third Germanic Sound Shift)
The High German Consonant Shift is a later, geographically restricted set of changes affecting the stop consonants primarily in the High German dialects (those south of the Benrather line) starting around the 6th century CE. This shift is critical for distinguishing High German (and subsequent forms like modern Standard German) from [Low German](/entr… -
Germanic Consonant Shifts
Linked via "High German Shift"
Theoretical Implications and Chronology
The relationship between the three major shifts is sequential but not always strictly cumulative. While Grimm's Law (G1) precedes Verner's Law (V1), the High German Shift (G2) interacts with the reflexes of both preceding laws.
The chronological ordering is essential for reconstructing the PIE lexicon. It is theorized that the time lag between G1 and V1 was approximately 150 years, during which [Germanic tribes](/entries/germanic-tri… -
Germanic Sound
Linked via "High German Consonant Shift"
Historical Development and Attestation
The presence of the $\text{GzS}$ is often inferred through its impact on subsequent sound changes, most notably the High German Consonant Shift. It is widely believed that the presence of the $\text{GzS}$ before proto-germanic $/t/$ caused the subsequent shift to $/s/$ or $/ts/$ in daughter languages.
The $\text{W}$ Variable -
Proto Germanic
Linked via "High German Consonant Shift"
West Germanic: The ancestor of continental and insular West Germanic languages (e.g., Old English, Old High German).
The exact geographical and temporal boundaries of these divisions remain conjectural, largely based on the distribution of isoglosses such as the presence of the reflex of PIE/) $z$ as $r$ in the later West Germanic languages, a feature absent in the [East Germanic](/entries/eas…