device of inverting Gr. phi. The Anglo-Saxon thorn-letter closely follows the Runes. Lastly, Wulfila uses his letters as numbers, hence we know their sequence, which is that of Greek, not Runic, where the alphabet was known as futhork from its first six letters, viz., f, u, th, o (for a), r, k.
It is interesting to know the phonetic value Wulfila probably attached to his symbols. This we ascertain from two sources, a comparison with the general Teutonic vowel and consonantal system, and a study of Wulfilic transliterations of Greek proper names. His vowel system is:—
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The Greek transliterations for the most part bear out these values, but it is probably that Wulfila found his vowel system different from the Greek. It seems strange that, having adopted Gr. eta as a symbol, he should have given it the long sound of upsilon, and chosen to use ai for the short sound, thus—Baiailzaibul = βεελζεβοὐλ, Gaiainna = Γἐεννα, Gehenna. Similarly, o is always long, and au represents its short sound, as Apaustaulus, ἀπόστολος. These short sounds ai = ĕ and au = ǒ, are almost restricted to those cases in which these vowels are followed by r or h. A somewhat similar disturbing effect of r is still seen in clerk, Derby, and less correctly in servant (sarvent), and sergeant (sargent). The combination ai and au elswhere have the values of Ger. Kaiser and Haus repsectively. Long i is ei = ee in seen, but the transliteration varies, Go. ei representing Gr. ι, ει, and η, e.g. Aileisabeth = Ελίσαβετ, Jaeirus = Ιάειρος, and Atheineis = Αθἥναι. The consonants do not call for much remark; g has always its hard sound, j, which has now its palatal sound under the influence of French, has the sound of y in yes; p seldom appears in Gothic words except in the middle position, and b has the force of f or v between
- ↑ Preserved still better in the pronunciation of "earth" in Lowland Scots.
