§ 79. The Gothic soft spirants, =b=, =d=, =z=, finally and before the
=s= of the nom. (cp. §§ 56. 74. 78) ar changed into the corresponding
hard sounds, =f=, =þ=, =s=, while the fourth soft spirant, medial =g=,
remains unchanged when final (§ 66; § 65, n. 2).
NOTE 1. Also the final =b=, =d=, =z= hav sumtimes remaind
unchanged, i. e. =z= rarely (§ 78, n. 1), but =b= and =d=
especially often in certain parts where also other forms show a
later stage of development. Cp. § 56, n. 1; § 74, n. 1, and Zs.
fda., 25, 226 et seq.
NOTE 2. Interchange between =f= and =b=, =þ= and =d=, =h= and =g=,
=s= and =z=, which had taken place in proethnic Germanic according
to definit laws and is better preservd in other Germanic languages
('Grammatical Change'; s. ahd. gr., § 100 et seq.), occurs in
Gothic only in derivativ words; cp. =g-h=, § 66, n. 1; =d-þ=, §
74, n. 3; (=z--s=, § 78, n. 3); and traces of it ar seen in the
inflection of the verbs =þarf= (§ 56, n. 3), =áih= (§ 203, n. 1).
§ 80. Gemination of the Gothic liquids and nasals, =l=, =m=, =n=, =r=,
is frequent; also =ss= and a few instances of =kk= (§ 58, n. 1), =tt=
(§ 69, n. 1), =þþ= (§ 71, n. 1), =dd= (§ 73, n. 1); --the more frequent
exampls of =gg= (§§ 67. 68) ar in part of another kind.
The geminated consonants remain unchanged when final and before the =s=
of the nominativ: =skatts=, =full=, =kann=, =rann=, =wamm=, =gawiss=;
likewise before =j= (as in =fulljan=, =skattja=, =kannjan=, etc.),
but ar as a rule simplified before other consonants: =kant=, =kunþa=
(cp. =kann=); =rant=, 2nd pers. sg. prt., =ur-runs=, m., _a running
out_ (cp. =rinnan=); =swumfsl=, _pond_ (cp. =*swimman=); --but uzually
=fullnan=, only a few times =fulnan=.
NOTE. Sum instances of gemination as wel as of simplified
gemination in the MSS. ar merely orthografic errors; as, =allh= for
=alh=; Lu. II, 46; =wisêdun= (=s= for =ss=); =inbranjada= (=nj= for
=nnj=); Jo. XV, 6; =swam= for =swamm=; Mk. XV, 36.--Such errors ar
mostly corrected by the editors. Cp. Bernhardt, 'Vulfila', p. LVII.
§ 81. The changes of consonants before dentals may, as far as the
Gothic is concernd, be embraced in the following rule:
Before the dentals, =d=, =þ=, =t=, all labial stops and spirants ar
changed into =f=, all gutturals into =h=, all dentals into =s=, the
second dental appearing always as =t=. E. g.
=skapjan=, =gaskafts= (§ 51, n. 2); =þaúrban= (=*þaúrbda=), =þaúrfta=;
=giban=, =gifts= (§ 56, n. 4); --=siuks=, =saúhts=; =þagkjan=, =þâhta=
(§ 58, n. 2); =magan=, =mahta= (§ 66, n. 1); --=wait=, =waist= (§ 69,
n. 2); =waírþan=, =warst= (§ 71, n. 3); =biudan=, =baust= (§ 75, n. 1).
NOTE 1. Exceptions ar =magt= (2nd pers. sg.; 1st =mag=, § 201) and
=gahugds=, _mind_.
NOTE 2. =st= often becums =ss= by assimilation; as, =wissa=, prt.
of =witan= (§ 76, n. 1). Cp. Beitr., 7, 171 et seq.; 9, 150 et
seq.; IF., 4, 341 et seq.
NOTE 3. The rule givn abuv from a practical standpoint of
the Gothic grammar must be formulated differently from
a comparativ-historical standpoint, because the discust
sound-shiftings hav not originated in the Gothic language, but ar
reflections of proethnic Germanic and Indo-Germanic relations of
sounds. S. Brgm., I, 381 et seq.; 403 et seq.
§ 82. Assimilations occur only in combination with =h= (s. § 62, n. 3)
and =us= (§ 78, n. 4).