nis medially between vowels and probably also initially
before vowels, but a fortis in other positions, as {sun}, _son_,
{w[e:]sen}, _to be_, pret. {was}, {bresten}, _to burst_. It may be
pronounced like the {s} in English {sit}.

{sch} was like the {sh} in English {ship}, as {schif}, _ship_,
{gesch[e:]hen}, _to happen_, {visch}, _fish._

{v} was a voiceless lenis, and may be pronounced like the {v} in NHG.
{voll}. See {f}.

{w} was pronounced like the {w} in English {wet}, as {w[i]n}, _wine_,
{bliuwen}, _to strike._

{z} and {[z]} were not distinguished in MHG. manuscripts, both being
written {z}. Both {z} and {[z]} (but {[zz]} medially between vowels when the
first vowel was short) arose from Germanic {t} (see Sec. 23). {z} had the
sound-value of {ts} (= NHG. {z}): (_a_) always initially, as {z[i]t},
_time_; (_b_) medially and finally after consonants ({l, m}, {n, r}), as
{holz} (gen. {holzes}), _wood_, {h[e:]rze}, _heart_, {sm[e:]rze}, _pain_,
{ganz}, _whole_; (_c_) finally after vowels (= Germanic {tt}) in those
words which change final {z} to {tz} when it becomes medial, as {schaz}
(gen. {schatzes}), OE. {sceatt}, _money, treasure_. MHG. intervocalic
{tz} always arose from older {tt}, as {setzen} = OE. {settan}, _to set_.
{[z]} was a kind of lisped {s} and only occurred medially between and
finally after vowels, as {b[i][z]en}, _to bite_, {[e:][zz]en}, _to eat_,
{ha[z]}, _hatred_. It should be noted that good MHG. poets never rhymed
pairs of words like {was}, _was_, and {wa[z]}, _what_; {missen}, _to miss_,
and {wi[zz]en}, _to know_.

{ph} and {pf} represent the same sound, viz. the {pf} in NHG. {pfund},
_pound_.

Sec. 20.

MHG. has the following double consonants medially between vowels: {bb,
gg}; {p, tt, ck}; {ff, ss, [zz]}; {mm, nn}; {ll, rr}. They were always
pronounced long as in Italian and Swedish, as {bit-ter}, _bitter_,
{[e:][z]-[z]en}, _to eat_, {k[u:]s-sen}, _to kiss_, {m[u:]g-ge}, _midge_,
{rin-nen}, _to run_. In NHG. double consonants are never long, they merely
indicate that the preceding vowel is short.

Sec. 21.

{Phonetic Survey of the MHG. Consonants.}

LABIAL. DENTAL. GUTTURAL.

Voiceless { fortis p, pp t, tt k, ck
explosives { lenis b, bb d g, gg

Spirants { fortis f, ff { s, ss, sch, [z], [zz] h (ch)
{ lenis v { s

Nasals m, mm n, nn