Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1979, Page 127
113
Superscript o denotes ro: drotne lrll, and uitronar 2r24. What
appears to be a superscript v represents ru in trua 2r 16 etc.
The 9-sign is used only in Latin names such as [Ma]ximian».s lr36.
The nasal stroke is used for both n and m when placed over vowels and
n when placed over an n: ma/nnum lr9, uarorø lrll, and ocunn lr34.
Crossed p stands for \>ut lv8 etc. In addition the following abbreviations
occur in related pronominal and adjectival forms: ipeir 1 r 16, \>etta lr30,
\)eira lr30, ipeir lv8, ipvial lvl4, \>vi lr37 etc. One instance of p with the
lower stem crossed occurs in line end position for \>eim, lr29.
Crossed h is used for hann (lr28, 29 etc.); together with s, it represents
hans (lv4, 33 etc.).
The nominative singular mudr appears as m with a superscript r (lr28,
2r 17). In addition to the use of the uncial m for plural forms, minuscule m
with a superscript stroke occurs once for menn: 1 r 15.
eigi is abbreviated as eig with a superscript dash, 1 r 15, n with a
superscript dash lv27, and e with a superscript i lr9 etc.
The 3rd person preterite singular of mæla is abbreviated to mit normally
(e. g. 2r7) but once to mite lv39, the plural is mlo 2v4 etc.
The 3rd person preterite singular of heita occurs once as .h.: Ivl7.
gups is contracted to g{ys 2r25, kirkio to kkio lv5, and the Latin dominus
to Dhs 2r20 etc.
Hånd A makes no use of the accent sign.
2. Original short o from n-umlaut of a (and in the diphthong io resulting
from n-breaking) is written æ (ma/nnum Ir9, dia/fla 1 v 14, fa/gnojyont 1 r 16
etc. 7 ex.), au (aulluni lv31, gaufugr 1 v 17, 10 ex.), a (margum lr38), and o
(diofol 2r28, hofjn'ngi 1 v 16 etc. 16 ex.).
Original short o is written o (gogn 2r30) or eo in the forms of geora
(georem lr6, georjæs lv5 etc. 8 ex.). This sample is rather too small to
permit any definite conclusions; certainly the evidence is insufficient to
prove that hånd A maintained any distinetion between these phonemes.
Original long æ is written æ ({yrælar 2v5) or e (Seli 2r27, gezlo 2v9, retlete
lvl8, agetr lvl8). Original long æ is written æ (sære 1 ri3), e (fetr 1 v 11,
mejjdez lv33,5 brejjra 1 r 15), and eo (feorjtr lv3, beonum 1 v 13, meodesc
2v6). There is, then, some evidence of phonemic distinetion here, which
may be a result of variations in the accuracy of the copying from an older
5 Unger’s reading of mø[xiez, HMS II, 204, is unsupported by the MS.
Opuscula VI - 8