Etymograph > Indo-European > Old English > Rules > oe-epenthesis

Source: Ringe 2014:327 (6.9.5)

∅ > e / C_r# if previous vowel is front

Examples

FromToGlossStepsExpected
PWGmc *akræcerfieldakr > ækr > æcer
PWGmc *hafrhæferhe-goathafr > hæfr > hæfer
PGmc *hafra-hæferhe-goathafra- > hæfr > hæfer
PWGmc *swegrusweġermother-in-lawswegru > sweġr > sweġer
PGmc *swegru-sweġermother-in-lawswegru- > sweġr > sweġer
PNWGmc *feþrufeþerfeatherfeþru > feþr > feþer
PWGmc *fagrfæġerbeautifulfagr > fæġr > fæġer
PGmc *fagra-fæġerbeautifulfagra- > fæġr > fæġer
PNWGmc *legrąleġerbed, lairlegrą > leġr > leġer
PWGmc *wintruwinterwinterwintru > wintr > winter
PWGmc *leþrleþerleatherleþr > leþer
PGmc *leþra-leþerleatherleþra- > leþr > leþer
PWGmc *timrtimbertimbertimr > timertimer
PGmc *timbra-timbertimbertimbra- > timbr > timber
PWGmc *bitrbiterbitterbitr > biter
PNWGmc *libruliferliverlibru > lifr > lifer
PGmc *librō-liferliverlibrō- > lifr > lifer
PGmc *agra-eagorfloodagra- > æġr > æġeræġer
PGmc *ēþrō-ǣdrevein, rivuletēþrō- > ǣþr > ǣþerǣþer
PGmc *fingra-fingerfingerfingra- > fingr > finger
PGmc *gestra-geostran-dægthe previous or next daygestra- > ġiestr > ġiesterġiester
PGmc *hreþra-hrēaðe-mūsbathreþra- > hreþr > hreþerhreþer
PGmc *hreþrja-mid-hriðerediaphragmhreþrja- > hreþr > hreþerhreþer
PGmc *hrīdra-hrīddersievehrīdra- > hrīdr > hrīderhrīder
PGmc *kebra-ceaforbeetlekebra- > ċiefr > ċieferċiefer
PGmc *kelurō-ceolerthroatkelurō- > ċielr > ċielerċieler
PGmc *magra-mæġerleanmagra- > mæġr > mæġer
PGmc *tagra-tæhherteartagra- > tæġr > tæġertæġer
PGmc *tetru-tetertettertetru- > tetr > teter
PGmc *tibra-tibersacrificetibra- > tifr > tifertifer
PGmc *þemestra-þīestredark, duskyþemestra- > þimestr > þimesterþimester
PGmc *wakra-wacoralert, awakewakra- > wækr > wæcerwæcer
PGmc *weþra-wederweatherweþra- > weþr > weþerweþer
PGmc *weþru-weðer(male) lamb; yearlingweþru- > weþr > weðer
PGmc *wiþrawiðertoward, againstwiþra > wiþr > wiðer

∅ > o / C_r# if previous vowel is back

Examples

FromToGlossStepsExpected
PNWGmc *galdrazġealdorincantationgaldraz > ġealdr > ġealdor
PGmc *silubrąsiolforsilversilubrą > siolufr > siolufor > seoloforseolofor
PWGmc *morþrmorþormurdermorþr > morþor
PGmc *utrazotorotterutraz > otr > otor
PWGmc *wulþrwuldorworthwulþr > wuldr > wuldor
PWGmc *hlahtrhleahtorlaughterhlahtr > hleahtr > hleahtor
PGmc *hlahtra-hleahtorlaughterhlahtra- > hleahtr > hleahtor
PWGmc *fōdrfōdorsheathfōdr > fōdor
PGmc *fōdra-fōdorsheathfōdra- > fōdr > fōdor
PWGmc *hleuþrhlēoþornoisehleuþr > hlēoþr > hlēoþor
PWGmc *snotrsnotorwisesnotr > snotor
PWGmc *hlūtrhlūtorcleanhlūtr > hlūtor
PWGmc *þunrþunorthunderþunr > þunor
PWGmc *wundrwundormarvel, wonderwundr > wundor
PWGmc *rōþrrōþoroarrōþr > rōþor
PGmc *aibra-āforharshaibra- > āfr > āfor
PGmc *aitra-āttorpoison; pusaitra- > ātr > ātorātor
PGmc *aldra-aldorage, life(span)aldra- > ealdr > ealdorealdor
PGmc *apaldra-apuldreapple-treeapaldra- > æpealdr > æpealdoræpealdor
PGmc *eudra-ūderuddereudra- > ēodr > ēodorēodor
PGmc *fōþra-fōðorload; vessel; fodderfōþra- > fōþr > fōðor
PGmc *haidra-hādorclearhaidra- > hādr > hādor
PGmc *hrōþra-hrōðorpraisehrōþra- > hrōþr > hrōðor
PGmc *hungru-hungorhungerhungru- > hungr > hungor
PGmc *kurþra-corðorflockkurþra- > korþr > corðor
PGmc *lahtra-leahtorvicelahtra- > leahtr > leahtor
PGmc *lauþra-lēaðorlatherlauþra- > lēaþr > lēaðor
PGmc *rōþra-rōdorrudderrōþra- > rōþr > rōþorrōþor
PGmc *silubra-seolforsilversilubra- > siolufr > siolufor > seoluforseolufor
PGmc *skuldra-sċuldorshoulderskuldra- > sċoldr > sċoldorsċoldor
PGmc *tundra-tyndertindertundra- > tundr > tundortundor
PGmc *þurzu-þyrredryþurzu- > þurr > þurorþuror
PGmc *wōkra-wōcorgrowthwōkra- > wōkr > wōcor

∅ > e / C_l# if previous sound is not coronal obstruent and previous sound is not labial fricative and previous sound is not 'ġ' and previous vowel is front

Examples

FromToGlossStepsExpected
PWGmc *appluæppelappleapplu > æpl > æpelæpel
PWGmc *spinniluspinelspindlespinnilu > spinl > spinel

∅ > o / C_l# if previous sound is not coronal obstruent and previous sound is not labial fricative and previous sound is not 'ġ' and previous vowel is back

Examples

FromToGlossStepsExpected
PNWGmc *kumlącumbolsignkumlą > kuml > cumolcumol
PWGmc *fuglfugolbirdfugl > fugol
PWGmc *tungltungolluminarytungl > tungol
PGmc *tungla-tungolstar, celestial body(?)tungla- > tungl > tungol

∅ > e / C_n# if previous sound is not 'r' and previous sound is not 'l' and (previous vowel is long or previous vowel is diphthong or second previous sound is consonant)

Examples

FromToGlossStepsExpected
PWGmc *wāpnwǣpenweaponwāpn > wǣpn > wǣpen
PGmc *būsnizbȳsenthing offeredbūsniz > bȳsn > bȳsen
PGmc *frōknizfrēcnedaringfrōkniz > frēkn > frēcenfrēcen
PWGmc *taikntācensigntaikn > tākn > tācen
PWGmc *faiknfācenhostility, evilfaikn > fākn > fācen
PWGmc *bauknbēacensignbaukn > bēakn > bēacen
PWGmc *wolknwolcencloudwolkn > wolcen
PGmc *fergunja-firgenmountainfergunja- > feorgn > feorgenfeorgen
PGmc *mulkna-molcendairymulkna- > molkn > molcen
PGmc *ōhsnō-ōxnarmpitōhsnō- > oksn > oxenoxen

∅ > u / C_m# if previous sound is not 'r' and previous sound is not 'l'

Examples

FromToGlossStepsExpected
PGmc *aiþma-āðumson-in-lawaiþma- > āþm > āðum
PGmc *bagma-bēambeam, treebagma- > bæġm > bæġum > bæġombæġom

Sequences

pwgmc-to-oe: previous oe-back-umlaut, next oe-unstressed-vowel-merger
pgmc-to-oe: previous oe-back-umlaut, next oe-unstressed-vowel-merger
pnwgmc-to-oe: previous oe-back-umlaut, next oe-unstressed-vowel-merger

Generated by yole/etymograph on Tue Oct 28 2025