Verner's Law, Part 2 of 3

Summary

The video explores Carl Verner's significant contribution to linguistics through his discovery of Verner's Law in 1876. Despite facing a setback due to a cold, Verner's insight into the influence of stress on the shifting of Indo-European consonants emerged while he was reading a pivotal grammar book. His findings revealed that consonants in specific contexts would shift differently than previously predicted, linking various linguistic elements across languages. Verner's Law not only resolved longstanding issues in linguistics but also connected relationships between Latin and English, showcasing the complexities of sound change and its implications for language evolution.

Takeaways

• 😀 Carl Verner was a philologist who discovered Verner's Law, which addresses consonant shifts in Indo-European linguistics.
• 😀 In 1876, Verner aimed to solve the issue of shifted consonants but was initially slowed down by illness.
• 😀 While resting, Verner had a breakthrough regarding the placement of stress and its effect on consonant shifts.
• 😀 Verner's findings indicated that stress placement affects whether Indo-European consonants shift to voiced or remain voiceless.
• 😀 His article, titled 'An Exception to the First Consonant Shift,' summarized his insights into these linguistic changes.
• 😀 According to Verner's Law, when the consonants 'p,' 't,' and 'c' occur in the middle of a word, they become 'b,' 'd,' and 'g' unless preceded by stress.
• 😀 The law also clarified that if stress was present, the consonants shifted as previously predicted by Grim's Law.
• 😀 The concept of rism explains the transformation of 's' into 'r' in specific contexts, influencing Latin and Norse language endings.
• 😀 Verner's Law helped explain the relationship between Latin and English words, such as 'Corpus' and 'Corporation.'
• 😀 The law provided insight into the connections between various Indo-European languages, including Sanskrit and Old English.

Q & A

Who is Carl Verner and what is he known for?

Carl Verner was a Danish philologist known for discovering Verner's Law, which addressed the shifting consonants in Indo-European languages.

What problem was Carl Verner trying to solve?

Verner was attempting to solve the issue of the badly shifted consonants in Indo-European languages, specifically how stress placement affected these shifts.

What was Verner's significant discovery regarding consonant shifts?

Verner discovered that the consonants p, t, and c, when occurring in the middle of a word, would become voiced consonants (b, d, g) unless preceded by stress.

What is the essence of Verner's Law?

Verner's Law states that the voiceless consonants p, t, and c become voiced (b, d, g) in the middle of a word unless the Indo-European stress immediately precedes them.

How does stress placement affect consonant shifts according to Verner's Law?

If the stress is placed before the consonant, p, t, and c shift as predicted by Grimm's Law; otherwise, they shift to voiced consonants.

What is rism, and how does it relate to Verner's findings?

Rism refers to the transformation of an 's' into a Greek 'rho' (r). It is linked to Verner's findings as it explains changes in sound between different languages, such as the relationship between Latin and Norse endings.

Can you provide examples of language pairs that illustrate Verner's Law?

Examples include the relationship between the Latin words 'corpus' and 'corporation,' and the connection between the Sanskrit word 'p' and the Old English word 'fætter.'

How does Verner's Law connect to Grimm's Law?

Verner's Law modifies Grimm's Law by specifying conditions under which certain consonants become voiced based on the stress of preceding syllables.

What was Carl Verner doing when he discovered his law?

Verner was resting on his couch and reading 'Franz Bopp's Comparative Grammar' when he had the insight regarding consonant shifts.

How did Verner document his findings?

Verner summarized his findings in an article modestly titled 'An Exception to the First Consonant Shift' published in a journal.