Proto-Norse
| Proto-Norse | |
|---|---|
| Region | Scandinavia |
| Era | 2nd to 8th centuries |
|
Indo-European
|
|
|
Early forms
|
Proto-Indo-European
|
| Elder Futhark | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
|
Linguist list
|
1be |
qdl "Runic" (perhaps Old Norse is intended) |
|
| Glottolog |
olde1239 (Older Runic (perhaps))
|
Proto-Norse (also Proto-Scandinavian, Primitive Norse, Proto-Nordic, Ancient Nordic, Ancient Scandinavian, Old Nordic, Old Scandinavian, Proto-North Germanic, North Proto-Germanic, Common Scandinavian), was an Indo-European language spoken in Scandinavia that is thought to have evolved as a northern dialect of Proto-Germanic over the first centuries CE. It is the earliest stage of a characteristically North Germanic language, and the language attested in the oldest Scandinavian Elder Futhark inscriptions, spoken ca. from the 2nd to 8th centuries (corresponding to the late Roman Iron Age and the Germanic Iron Age). It evolved into the dialects of the Old Norse language, at the beginning of the Viking Age about AD 800, which later themselves evolved into modern North Germanic languages.
Proto-Norse phonology probably did not differ substantially from that of Proto-Germanic. Although the phonetic realisation of several phonemes had probably changed over time (as with any language), the overall system of phonemes and their distribution remained largely unchanged.
The system of vowels differed somewhat more from that of Proto-Germanic than the consonants. Earlier /ɛː/ had been lowered to /ɑː/, and unstressed /ai/ and /au/ had developed into /eː/ and /ɔː/. Shortening of word-final vowels had eliminated the Proto-Germanic overlong vowels.
At least the following diphthongs were present: /æi/, /ɑu/, /eu/, /iu/.
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