Studia Islandica - 01.06.1949, Blaðsíða 33

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second part tends to become slack and open. In this process con-
fusion arises between the vowels i and e, u and ö. The result is
a diphthongic e, ö. Only a does not seem to become diphthong
although its second element is slack too. When short, these vowels
remain unchanged.
The old long vowels and diphthongs á, ó, æ, au, ei (ey) tend to
fuse the two elements or reduce the second one when short;
if long, they remain in full force. The two highest vowels í and ú
are not diphthongic.
To the old long vowels and diphthongs, including í and ú, a
weak off-glide (a) may be added, when they are spoken especially
distinct, at least dialectally (fastmæli).
The sound changes we have discussed are all conditioned by
the system. Some are obviously analogical. Others seem to be
contrast phenomena, and may be so to some extent, though other,
perhaps even more important factors, may have the lion’s share
in the changes.
I have called the changes kerfisbundnar hljóöbreytingar, system-
bedingte Lautveránderungen, that is, sound changes conditioned
by the system.