Page:Bright's Anglo-Saxon Reader.djvu/28

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AN OUTLINE OF ANGLO-SAXON GRAMMAR.


Goth. þeihan), to thrive; wrēon (< *wrīhan), to cover; bēot (<*bīhāt), boast. A long vowel absorbs the following vowel : fōn (<*fōhan <*fǫnhan), to seize; hōn *hōhan < *hǫnhan), to hang; tēon (<*tēohan), to draw; flēon (<*flēohan), to flee.

INFLUENCE OF w.

19. The diphthongs eo, io produced by the breaking (9) or by the u-o-umlaut (14) of e, i are sometimes labialized by a preceding w into u or o. (S. §§ 71, 72.) Thus, weorðan (< *werðan, 9), to become, appears also in the form wurðan ; weorðian, wurðian, to honor; weorpan, wurpan, to throw; weorold (14), worold, woruld, world; sweord, swurd, sword; wita, wiota (14), weota, wuta, wise man; widuwe, wioduwe (14), wuduwe, widow; betwih, betweoh (9), betwuh, with disappearance of w, betuh, between.