Vowel Changes under the Influence of Consonants

In the XVI-XVII cc. new long monophthongs and new diphthongs with the second element [ə] appeared as the result of the vocalization of r.

To begin with, the sound [e] before [r] in the same syllable changed to [a] already in the XV c. so that [er] changed into [ar]. This change was in most cases reflected in spelling. Cf.

ME derk > NE dark, ME ferm > NE farm, ME sterre > NE star.

In some words like clerk, sergeant the older spelling has been preserved. The spelling of heart shows the attempt to record the transition of [e] into [a] with the help of the digraph [ea].

Although the change of [er] to [ar] was fairly common, it did not affect all the words with the given sounds, e.g. ME serven [‛servən], person [ ′;persən]

By NE period the articulation of the sound [r] changed. From being a vibrating sound, like the Russian [р], it became more liquid and in Early NE [r] was vocalized to [ə] after vowels.

(1) In most cases this [ə] and the preceding short vowel were fused into one long vowel.

As a result, new long vowels have appeared in English, e.g.

ME a + r > NE [α׃] as in dark, part, star, heart

ME o + r > NE [ɔ:] as in port, form, more, war

ME i + r > NE [ə:] as in bird, first

ME u + r > NE [ə:] as in burden, fur

ME e + r > NE [ə:] as in person, serve

Note. In most regions of the United States the sound [r] is still heard after vowels.

 

If the sound [r] happened to follow a long vowel, the result was a diphthong with [ə] as the second element, sometimes a triphthong:

ME [ ] + r > NE [εə] or [iə] as in bear, clear

ME [ ] + r > NE [iə] as in beer, here, dear, beard

ME [ō] + r > NE [uə] as in moor, poor

ME [ǭ] + r > NE [ɔə, ɔ:] as in oar, board

ME [ā] + r > NE [εə] as in hare, dare

ME [ī] + r > NE [aiə] as in hire, fire

ME [ū] + r > NE [auə] as in our, flower

Thus, a whole set of new diphthongs and triphthongs have appeared.

Of great consequence was also the influence of the consonant [l] on the preceding vowel, especially [a].

The influence is connected with the development of an u-glide before [l], mostly after [a], sometimes after [o]. Thus, [a] > [aul] > [ɔ:l] as in all, fall, salt, bald.

[o] > [ou] > [oul] as in folk, bowl < ME boole.

The consonant [l] was often lost especially before [k, m, f]. Still there were no changes in spelling.

When [l] was lost before [k] the glide remained and the diphthong [au] normally developed into [ɔ:] as in walk, talk, chalk.

When [l] was lost before [m] or [f] the labial glide disappeared before the labial consonants and the preceding [a] was lengthened [α:] as in palm, calm, half, calf.

English [α:] has also developed from ME [a] before the voiceless fricatives [s], [f] and [θ], as in grass, grasp, past, ask, after, staff, path. The process of development seems to have been [a> æ > æ: > α:].

In most regions of the United States the vowel here is still [æ].