LIBRARY
OF THE
University of California.
RECEIVED BY EXCHANGE
Class
- '■ A
P7<f
I'' ■■'' 'V
■■:y--M
A STUDY OF SUFFIX RIME IN
OTFRID'S EVANGELIENBUCH
'fl
A DISSERTATION
SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF UNIVERSITY STUDIES OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
IN CONFORMITY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
BY
THOMAS HOWARD FOWLER
^-C
i^fpRNlA,
BALTIMORE
igos
A STUDY OF SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID'S
EVANGELIENBUCH
A STUDY OF SUFFIX RIME IN
OTFRID'S EVANGELIENBUCH
A DISSERTATION
SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF UNIVERSITY STUDIES OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
IN CONFORMITY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
BY
THOMAS HOWARD FOWLER
OF THE
UNIVERr
OF
BALTIMORE
1905
Im^@^
w
i
i?r
BALTIMORE, MD., U. 8. A.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Introduction 7
Classification of the Rimes 8
The Ultima 10
Penultimate Rime 18
Penultimate-Antepenultimate Rime 42
Antepenultimate Rime 44
Other Old High German Poems 48
Identical Rime 49
Summary 62
Vita 63
A STUDY OF SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID'S
EVANGELIENBUCH
Introduction
The earliest important treatment of Otfrid's rime was that
of \\'ilhelm Grimm in 1850, under '' Zur Geschichte des
Reims," found in his Kleinere Schriften 4, 159 f. So far,
however, as Otfrid is concerned, the major part of the work
has to do only with identical rime, so that it can not be regarded
as a complete study of the Old High German author.
In 1874 Zarncke published an article entitled '' Die Reime
des 9. und 10. Jahrhunderts " in the Berichte der sachsischen
Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften 26, p. 34 f., but as this study
is almost wholly limited to rimes in which at least one word is
a root syllable, the sections devoted to Otfrid do not in any
sense present a full or satisfactory view of the entire system
of rimes.
Still later, in ZfdA., 16, p. 117 f., Wilmanns, in what may
be regarded as a continuation of Zarncke's method, treated
those rimes in which one or both words are wholly root syl-
lables, styling these stem rimes ; other sorts of rime he re-
garded as suffix rime, although there is no good reason why
rimes extending over more than one syllable, such as frono :
scono, should be classified as suffix rime rather than stem rime.
The term is, however, a convenient one, and for lack of a
better has been retained in the following pages.
Paul, in the second edition of the Grundriss II, 2, p. 109 f.,
and Koegel, Deutsche Litteraturgeschichte I, 2, 23 f., have also
made contributions to the study of rime in Otfrid, but neither
represents a detailed study of suffix rime, and the point of
view from which they regard many of the rimes is, in the
opinion of the writer, not altogether correct.
8 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
In the following pages, therefore, a study of suffix rime in
Otfrid is proposed, including:
I. Penultimate rime. (Type frono: scono)
11. Penultimate-antepenultimate rime. (Type folgetun :
woltun)
III. Antepenultimate rime. (Type worahta: forahta)
A further detailed discussion of root syllable rime is not
deemed necessary, and it will be considered only in connection
with identical rime.
One of the main questions which the present investigation
will aim to settle is : What minimum amount of similarity in
the penultimate or antepenultimate syllable will justify us in
asserting the existence of penultimate or antepenultimate rime ?
In order to answer this question the rimes will be classified
under various rubrics, that they may thereby lend themselves
more easily to observation, and that interesting facts may thus
be brought to notice. All evidence of varying rime usage in
the different books will be gathered and subjected to scrutiny,
with the intention of offering it as a contribution to the much
mooted question of the order in which the various books were
written.
Classification of the Rimes
The statistics given by Wilmanns ^ for so-called stem rime
are not entirely accurate. The correct figures for this as well
as for suffix rime are hence given below:
I
II
III
IV
V Total
Length.
1240
1244
1576
1572
1472 _ 7104
Root syllable rime.
261
383
492
462
406 2004
21%
30.8%
31-2%
29.4%
27.6% — 28.2%
Suffix rime.
971
861
1084
1109
1066 — 5091
78.2%
69.2%
68.8%
70.6%
72.4% 71.7%
In this connection it should be remembered that there are eight
instances of rimeless verses ^ in Book I, and one in Book IV.
From these figures it will be seen that Book V, and especially
*ZfdA., 16, 117 f.
' Koegel, Deutsche Litteraturgeschichte I, 2, 23 f.
CLASSIFICATION OF THE RIMES g
I, contain the smallest amount of root syllable rime, and there-
fore have a' larger proportion of suffix, i. c. penultimate and
antepenultimate rime.
Suffix rime includes, then, 71.7 per cent of the total number
of rimes, so that the ratio of its occurrence to that in which one
or both riming words are root syllables is about 2^/2 to i.
As penultimate and antepenultimate rime thus assume the
major role in Otfrid the question naturally suggests itself why
they have never been examined with the same care with which
root syllable rime has been studied.
The answer may be found in Zarncke,"^ who, after a discus-
sion of the type just mentioned, remarks:
" Neben der reimenden letzten Hebung lasst nun Otfrid
auch gerne noch die voraufgehende Silbe oder mehrere Silben
mitreimen, so gerne, dass diese zweisilbigen (und dreisilbigen)
Reime bei ihm die Ueberzahl ausmachen, und recht eigentlich
den Charakter seiner Reime bestimmen. Eine Statistik der-
selben wiirde nicht ohne Interesse sein, aber beschrankende
Bestimmungen lassen sich nicht feststellen, da das ganze
Farbenspiel vom vollstandigen Zusammenklingen bis zur abso-
luten Reimlosigkeit durchlaufen wird, so dass man kaum sagen
kann, wo die Grenze festzustellen, wo noch ein ungenaues
Mitreimen, wo bereits Reimlosigkeit anzunehmen sei. Nur
das Eine wird sich aus statistischer Beobachtung geben :
offenbar hat sich Otfrid allmahlig in den dem Ohre schmei-
chelnden vollen oder doch nahezu vollen Zweiklang hineinge-
funden. ]\lan vgl. z. B. die Reime in I. 4, vielleicht das erste
Kapitel das Otfrid dichtete, mit denen in der Widmung an
Ludwig. Die im Anfange nur nicht verschmahten Doppel-
reime sind allmahlig immer mehr die Regel geworden."
Now, while the above-mentioned difficulty is a real one, it
is not so insurmountable as Zarncke suggests ; for with the
material before one, and classified properly according to both
the accurate and inaccurate types, it is possible to arrive at
results that not only afford a better understanding of the nature
of penultimate and antepenultimate rime, and of the principle
involved in these rimes, but that also furnish a standard by
'^ Berichte der sachsischen Gesellschaft 26, 39.
10 SUFFIX RIME IN OFF RID
which to judge to what extent inaccuracies of rime are com-
patible with the riming character of the syhable in question.
The Ultima
In discussing the rimes that extend over two or three syl-
lables, it is most convenient and logical to start with a con-
sideration of the ultima, especially since this syllable is almost
always accurately rimed.
The exceptions, where the vowels are entirely different, are
quite rare, and the latter are in all cases ^ followed by the
consonant n, while the initial consonants of these syllables arc
usually identical. Cf. gisuason : miiasiin ; faron : onin. In
these few instances ' it is, then, the consonants that supply the
element of identity for rime in the final syllable. We may dis-
tinguish, therefore, three classes of rimes in so far as the
ultima is concerned :
I. The initial consonants of the ultima are identical. Cf.
siti : noti; forahta : zvorahfa.
II. The initial consonants of the ultima are not identical but
similar. Cf. zvari: sconi; rigildn: segenon.
III. The initial consonants of the ultima are neither identi-
cal nor similar. Cf. higinnan : belgan; Jwhi: dati.
Of these three classes I is by far the largest, including 4265
rimes, that is 83.8 per cent of the total number of suffix rimes.
The predominance of such rimes in which the final syllables
are identical is not to be ascribed to accident, but is due to a
conscious eft'ort on the part of Otfrid, as can be shown from a
study of his synonyms. Let us take, for instance, the words
abulgi, zorn, and heizimiati, meaning in general " anger."
An examination of the rimes of heizmuati, which are 4 in
number, shows that they are all with noti, i. e. with a word
whose final syllable is identical with heizmuati (I 20, 2; III 20,
129 ; IV 19. 57 ; IV 30. 8). Otfrid might have used abulgi : noti,
and the former word occurs just as often in the text as
heizmuati, being used twice in rime out of a total of 4 in-
' Cf. Erdmann's large edit, of Otfrid. Introd. LXVIII.
" About 12, so few that they may be included in the three classes
immediately following.
THE ULTIMA II
stances, but as this rime would have destroyed the identity of
the final syllable he refrained from doing so.
Likewise, of the two rimes of come, one is with zvaiuic (IV
30. 9), according to the above principle, which would have
been violated had either Cihulge or Jicicuiuate been used in-
stead; the other is zornchorne (IV 26. 2), an example of
accurate penultimate rime.
Again, we have the group gah'i, snelll, and ila, meaning
"haste" or "quickness," and of these gain occur 17 times in
rime, 15 of which are accurate penultimate rimes. The other
two are gaJii : zvlhl (I 8. 13), and gdhlihdJn (V 4. 25). In
either place siiellJ could have stood in rime instead of gdhi, but
such a rime would have done away with the identity of the
final syllables, and its absence may be explained on this
ground.^
The same observation may be made in the case of the verbs
(gi)gdhen and (gi)ilen, gigdhen in some inflectional form ap-
pearing in rime 8 times, 6 of which are accurate penultimate
rimes, the other 2 being gigdhe: gihohc (I i. 32), and gigdhen:
gihdhen (III 16. 20). If we substitute in the one case gi-lle
and in the other gi-Jlen, it will appear why Otfrid did not use
these latter forms.
x\gain, the group of words signifying " sin, crime," which
are : siinta, meina, akust, missiddt, iiharmiiati, and fravili.
The rimes of sunta, which are 12 in number, are of the accurate
penultimate type of rime, as sunta :wunta, with but 4 excep-
tions, 3 of which come under consideration here. They are
worton: siinton (II 7. 14; IV 22. 34) and scolfa: suntd (I 4.
12). Meinon and meind are in order here in the place of
sitnton, suntd, but the rule for the identity of the final syllable
interferes with their use. In a similar manner, there are 8
rimes of iihannuatl, of which 6 are accurate penultimate rimes,
while the remaining 2 are nbannuatl: noti (II 5. 7), and
nharniuatl.\ndti (I 18. 13). Had fravili been substituted for
iiharmuatJ it would have resulted in a difference between the
final syllables.
^ Of course no form of ila could have been used here, as it belongs to
a declension in \vhich the final vowel is always different from that of
the other two words of this group.
12 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
We have in Otfrid two verbs meaning " to think," thcnken
and wdnen, and there are ii instances of rimes of the former
with forms of wirken, in w^hich some form of wdnen might
have been used, instead of thenkcn, had the initial consonant
of the final syllable been the same.
Again, the group lioh, diuri, driit, gimiiati, zeis, signifying
" dear." There are 9 rimes of dinra, girnuati, and :!jei:j in
various inflectional forms that concern us, namely : dinra : wdra
(IV 35. 19; V 23. 120), dhiron'.zvdron (IV 33. 35), diuri:
mdri (16. 16), diuri: heri (IV 4. 22), diiiru : mdni (V 25. 22),
gimiiati: heroti (IV 11. 23), giniuafe:biete (III 6. 30), zcizo:
snazo (II 8. 15). In all these 9 rimes some one of the other
words of this group might have been employed but for the
striving after identity of final syllable described above.
Of verbs of ''saying" there are 11 ultima rimes of forms
of sagen with other words, in which, if some other verb of
" saying " as gehan or sprechan were substituted, the final
syllables would no longer be identical.
There is also one rime of redino: forasagono (II 18. 3), for
which redio, of like meaning though of less frequent occur-
rence, could be used ; and likewise a rime-pair irzelitun :
thingotiin (V 23, 237), where sprdchun would express the
same idea as the first rime word. In all these cases the sub-
stitutes seem to be avoided intentionally.
As a final group may be mentioned the adjectives ziari and
sconi, meaning " beautiful." In some one of its inflectional
forms sconi occurs 9 times in rime where some form of ziari
would also be in place: sconi: gisiuni (I 4. 24), sconi: ana-
wdni (I 4. 48), sconi :zvdni (II 7. 49), scone: suene (V 7. 13;
V 18. 2; V 20. 9), sconaz: seltsdnas (V 23. 175), scones:
gisiunes (I 12. 32), scdniu:inddnin (II 6. 19). The adverb
scono similarly stands in rime with sino (IV 7. 81), where the
adverb ciaro would have violated the regular rule.
Many other synonyms might be quoted to illustrate the point
in question, and in all these Otfrid's effort to secure identity
of the final syllable can be clearly shown, so that the predomi-
nance of these rimes cannot be due to mere accident, but must
be the result of a consistent plan.
THE ULTIMA 13
It remains to discuss classes II and III, which contain to-
gether 826 examples, and are, therefore, much smaller in
number than the preceding, the ratio being nearly 5: I.
In the first of these classes the initial consonants of the final
syllables, though not identical, are similar. This class in-
cludes 428 rimes, that is over one-half of the cases in which
the final syllable is not identical. Here are to be classed first
of all the rimes of the nasals and liquids with each other, such
as r'uiic : ciiciie, sconi : zvari, etc.
The similarity of n, I r, and m to each other as well as the
frequency with which they rime, the one wath the other, proves
that Otfrid sought such rimes, wherever he could not secure
identity of the final syllable.
The statistic is as follows :
Examples
/:w=i04 gimeinit : gideilit
I -^^^1= 5 ar77ie : wolle
/ : ;- = 36 zioro : stuolo
n \r — 40
sconi : wan
7n:r = 21 gizami -wan
VI \n '=■ 29
armon '■ /lornon
Total, 235
Noticeable is the frequency of the rimes of l:n and the
rarity with which Otfrid joins / and vi in rime. The con-
sonants occur in rime in the following order: n 173 times;
/ 145 ; r 97 ; w 55. By comparing these numbers with those
given above of the rimes of the various consonants with each
other, we may see how often we should expect certain con-
sonants to rime together ; then by a comparison of this latter
result with the number of rimes actually found, we can judge
which, among the nasals and liquids, were regarded as most
similar for rime purposes.
Thus, 77 rimes oil : n are expected where 104 actually occur,
but where we should expect 45 of ^ • ^ ^^^ 27 of / : m, only 36
and 5 respectively are found.
If this method be carried out for each consonant we arrive
14 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
at a result for their similarity which may be represented by
I 11 f I'll/
the two lines \ ' ,' ' y, that is to sav, startinsr from / in
n, I, m, r . ' &
the upper line and proceeding to the right are given, in order
of similarity to it, the other consonants ; then with m as start-
ing point and advancing to the left, the same is true, and also
in the case of n and r in the second line. The results obtained
show that / and n are most similar to each other, and r and m,
for purposes of rime.
Beside the above consonants there are rimes of other similar
consonants which require some discussion, namely ng(n):n,
and d : n.
The following considerations justify us in assuming the
existence and intentional character of rime of the guttural
nasal and dental nasal in final syllables, as in bigmnan: sijigan:
I. Their similarity as nasal consonants.
II. The frequency of rimes of ng : n, for of the 109 rimes of
ng with other consonants 69, i. e. 64% per cent of the total
number, are with n.
III. Excluding the rimes of ng : n, the other rimes of ng
are with consonants^ that are similar to n (nasals, liquids, and
d) and joined in rime with it frequently. That is to say, 83^
per cent of the rimes of ng with other consonants are with n
or consonants similar to n, a proportion that, taken in connec-
tion with other proof cited above, tends to show that the riming
of ng with n in final syllables is intentional.
It may be objected that if rime of ng with n is assumed, we
must also admit that of g with n, because of its frequency, as
it occurs 65 times to 69 instances of ng : n, but a study of the
former shows that they are clearly due to chance and are in no
way intentional. As proof the following may be adduced :
I. g and n are dissimilar consonants, whereas ng and n are
of like nature.
II. The proportion of ng rimes with n is greater than that
of g : n, for while out of a total of 109 rimes of ng 69 are with
n, i. e. 63.3 per cent, of a total of 144 rimes of g only 65, or
^ The only exceptions are ng: g:= 14 (cf. Refrain in V 19 which con-
tains 5 rimes of tJiingon: mennisgon), ng:t=^i, and ng:b=zi.
THE ULTIMA 1 5
45.1 per cent are with n, so that there is a difference of 18.2
per cent.
III. From a classification of the g : n rimes it can be seen
that 52 out of the total 65 are such as come under the head of
three-syllable or antepenultimate rime, as ingegini: rnenigl; but
of the rimes with ;/<,'■ : ;; only 5 are of this character, the
remainder belonging to the type thztnnge: iiuic. This fact is
significant, for in antepenultimate rime there is not only an
effort to secure rime of the penult, but also of the antepenult,
hence the number of words where this amount of agreement
is found must of necessity be more restricted than in penulti-
mate rime, and we therefore find the same rime-pairs repeated
again and again, or one word occurring a number of times in
different combinations. Thus, ingegini: menigi is found 26
times, nearly one-half the total number of rimes of n : g; simi-
larily, menigi: githigini, 4 times, and hrcdigdn:redindn, 6
times. Besides, in the effort to rime both penult and ante-
penult there is less opportunity of making the initial consonant
of the final syllable identical or similar ; and in a rime in which
the first two syllables rime and the initial consonant of the
ultima does not, the absence of agreement in the latter would
not be felt as keenly as in the case of penultimate rime.
IV. n occurs as the initial consonant of the final syllable in
antepenultimate rimes 102 times in all, i. e. more often than
any other consonant, g coming second ^ with 64 instances. It
is therefore the most natural state of affairs to find these two
consonants riming so often with each other, as it is merely a
question of frequency of use. There is accordingly no reason
for assuming intention in the numerous rimes of 11 : g.
At this point the question presents itself what was the pro-
nunciation of ng as evidenced by Otfrid's rimes ? ng is found
in rime with other consonants a total of 109 times, 70 of which,
or 62^2 per cent, are rimes with double consonants ; that is,
there are 60 rimes with )in, as higinnan: singan, and 10 with //,
as zellen : thin gen. So large a proportion of the rimes of ng
being with double consonants leads one to the point of view that
^ r occupies third place with 31, and / fourth, with 27 rimes, which
serves to show the much greater frequency of n and g in this class of
rimes.
l6 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
ng itself was a geminate, i. e. a single sound as in modern Ger-
man, but pronounced long and divided between the two syl-
lables as in the case of the Old High German geminates.
Graphically, this may be represented as follows : bigin-nan :
sin-nan (singan), thus affording a satisfactory explanation
for the frequent riming of ng with a double consonant/
As to the rimes of n with d, the following considerations
will serve to show that they too were regarded by Otfrid as
similar, and as such joined in rime :
1. As voiced dental consonants d and n are similar.
II. They occur frequently in rime together, a total of 65
times.
III. It can be proved that such rimes are intentional. Let
us examine, for instance, with the aid of Ingenbleek " the rimes
in -an, which constitutes one of the most frequent rime
endings.
It is found that there are 19 cases of -dan in suffix rime, of
which 8 are identical rimes (i. e. -dan: -dan) ; thus leaving 11
instances of rime with other consonants. Now, of these ii,
7, or nearly 64 per cent, are rimes of -dan : -nan. If we exam-
ine the other rimes in -an, as for example, those in -tan, -gan,
-ban, etc., we find them well represented, and in some cases
occurring as often as the -nan rimes. Therefore, if the rimes
of -dan : -nan are merely accidental, and not intentional, we
expect to find -dan riming as freely, or nearly so, with other
consonants as with -nan. As a matter of fact, no other con-
sonant appears a reasonable number of times in rime with -dan
as compared with the rimes of -nan : -dan, so we are justified
in asserting that -dan and -nan are intentionally associated.
If, in like manner, we survey the rimes in -on we find 30
cases of -don in suffix rime, of which 12 are identical, leaving
18 instances of rime with other consonants. Of this number,
10, or about 56 per cent, are rimes of -don : -non, so that there
^ Panzer in Gudrun, p. 20, Note i, arrives at this same conclusion for
the Gudrun, because of the numerous rimes of nning. His statement
is as follows : " Gem. dent. cons. : gem. gutt. cons. Diese Aussprache
muss die Lautgruppe ng nach Ausweis eben dieser Reime bereits gehabt
haben."
' Reimlexikon zu Otfrid, QuR, XXXVII, 47 f-
THE ULTIMA 1 7
remains 8 cases of -don in rime with other consonants. Of
other rimes in -on those in -ton, -ron, -gon, and -Ion are fre-
quent, and we ask ag'ain if chance ruled why should not the pro-
portion of rimes of -don with other consonants approach more
closely that of -non\-do)i? The highest number of rimes of
-don with any other combination than -non is 3, viz., that of
-don : -gon. That is to say, out of the 35 times that -gon
appears in rime with other consonants only one-twelfth are
-gon : -don. Upon comparing this with the rimes of -non : -don
it will be seen that of the 50 rimes of -noii with other con-
sonants, 10, or one-fifth, are rimes of -non : don, showing, there-
fore, more than twice as large a proportion in the latter case.
The question may be asked, how is it that of 50 rimes of
-}W)i only 10 are w^ith -don, and should we not expect a greater
percentage? What are the remaining 40 rimes of -nonf 26
are rimes of -non with other nasals and liquids — 10 are with I,
10 with r, and 6 with /// — so that the proportion of the -non:
-don rimes is the same as that of the nasals and liquids, which,
as we have already shown, Otfrid felt as similar. Hence, we
may conclude that n and d must likewise have been regarded
as similar consonants for rime purposes.
It would be possible to go through various other rime
endings, such as those in -es, -a, etc., and wx should find that
the rimes of d : n occur in much larger proportion than those
of other consonants with d, even though the former were met
with often in rime and might, therefore, be expected to occur
as frequently as n in rime with d, or in the proper ratio, were
these rimes merely accidental. As this has been shown not to
be the case, we may regard the point in question as proved.
In about nine-tenths of these rimes of d : n there is also rime
of the penult. Cf. blide: sJne, and Koegel,^ in classifying such
rimes states under his fourth division : " Der Vokal der vor-
hergehenden (i. e. penultimate) Silbe wnrd hereingezogen,
zunachst ohne BeriAcksichtigung der zwischenstehenden Con-
sonanz." The above discussion of the rimes of our entire
second class has shown this point of view to be incorrect, and
serves to confirm Paul's opinion," which is as follows :
^ Deutsche Litteraturgeschichte I, 2, 25 f.
'PGr.MI. 2, 109.
l8 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
" Sobald iibrigens diese Konsonanten (i. e. initial consonants
of the final syllables) einander wenigstens ahnlich sind, tragen
sie doch zu scharferem Hervortreten des Reimes bei, und es
zeigt sich daher auch, dass diese Aehnlichkeit in den meisten
Fallen vorhanden ist, also erstrebt sein muss."
As regards our third class, in which the initial consonant of
the final syllable is neither identical nor similar, as in such
rimes as hdhi:dati, hredigii:redinii, no special comment is
called for. In passing we may note that it is the smallest of
our three divisions, being represented by only 398 rimes,
another evidence of Otfrid's careful regard for the ultimate
syllable.
Penultimate Rime
Up to this point we have examined mainly the final syllable ;
we are now ready for a consideration of rime extending over
two syllables, that is penultimate rime.
Accurate rimes of the above class, such as henti:enti are
found in extensive use in Otfrid, and may be divided according
to accent ^ into the following categories :
I. Both words have primary accent on the penulti-
mate syllable. This comprises the rime of stem with
stem.^ Cf. frond: scbno = 1631
II. One penult has primary, the other secondary
accent.
(a) Stem : stem, one word being compound. Cf.
wihuii : adal-kunm = 233
{/3) Stem : suffix syllable. Ci. minna'. drfitinna = 117
III. Both penults have secondary accent.
(a) Compound : compound. Cf. itmhi-therhi :
adal-erbl = 6
(/?) Compound : suffix syllable. Cf. chan-re\ti :
drabeitl = q
Total, 1992
^ Cf. for accent of words in rime position : PGr., 2, 919 ; Sievers,
PBBtr., 4, 525 f. : 13. 121 f . ; Wihnanns, ZfdA.. 16. 117 f . : 27, 105 f . ;
Beitrage zur alteren deutschen Litteratur, Heft 3, pp. 1-129; Trautmann,
Lachmann's Betonungsgesetze und Otfrid's Vers, Halle, 1877 ; Behaghel,
Gesch. d. deu. Sprache. p. 689.
" For such rimes as sagcti : hdbcti compare Antepenultimate Rime.
PENULTIMATE RIME 19
Combining the examples found in these three divisions, there
is a total of 1992 instances, or 27.7 per cent of Otfrid's rimes
are to be classed under the rubric of accurate penultimate rime,
verv little less than the rime of root syllables with each other,
this being 29.2 per cent.
Considering suffix rime alone, accurate penultimate rime
forms about 39 per cent thereof, and as Books I and V contain
the "-reatest amount of the former, there is more chance for
accurate penultimate rime in them than in the remaining
books ; we should, therefore, expect them to show a larger
percentage than that found elsewhere. In the table given be-
low the third and fourth lines represent the amount of suffix
rime included under accurate penultimate rime.
I
II
III
IV
V Total
Suffix rime
971
861
1084
1109
1066 _ 5091
78.2%
69.2%
68.8%
70.6%
72.4% 71.7%
Ace. pen. rime
332
347
432
418
463 = 1992
34-3%
40.2%
39.8%
37.7%
43-4% — 39%
The above tabulation shows that I contains 5.8 per cent more
suffix rime than any of the other books ; it should, therefore,
comprise more accurate penultimate rime, but our enumeration
above shows that it includes even less, by 3.4 per cent, than
any other book, whereas V shows approximately the expected
proportion. It will be necessary to note, in the succeeding
categories, any increase above the normal ratio on the part of I,
in order to see in what class or classes of rimes its greater
percentage makes its appearance.
At this point we may consider the question of rime on the
part of the inseparable prefixes gi, hi, and ir, as in giddti : girdti,
bir'uiif : biscinit, invellen: ir^elloi. Grimm ^ speaks of these
under the heading of '' Erweiterter Reim " as follows :
'' Haufig reimen unter sich die zu einem Endreim gehorigen
untrennbaren Partikeln : da sie aber niemals betont, vielmehr
wenn sie zur Senkung an dieser Silbe nicht dienen, ganz
verschluckt werden, so kann man nur eine leichte Zuthat zu
dem Reim darin erblicken."
^Kleinere Schriften 4, 214 f.
20 SUFFIX RIME IN OFF RID
He believes, therefore, that such prefixes, when found to-
gether, serve as a sHght addition to the rime, and that their
agreement was aimed at.
Paul ^ denies all such intention, holding this agreement to be
merely accidental, and of little importance. This latter is prob-
ably the correct view as far as the prefixes ir and hi are con-
cerned, for as such rimes as birinit : hiscinit, irwellen : irzellen,
occur only 8 or lo times in each case in the entire poem, the
probability that the identity is merely accidental is so great
that no intention can be asserted, especially as both prefixes
occur frequently in rime in other combinations. With the
prefix gi, however, we have a different state of affairs :
I. Rimes like girati : giddti are numerous, there being a
total " of 96.
II. The type of gi- : gi- appears in all three types of rimes,
whether it be (a) root syllable rime, as gisah : gimah, (b) pe-
nultimate rime, as ginnagi: giwuagi, or (c) antepenultimate, as
githrewita : gistrewita; whereas, the few identical rimes of hi
and ir are all found in penultimate rime.
III. From a consideration of some of the rimes in which gi
figures it would seem as though Otfrid consciously chose in
the one case a form in gi when another form without it was at
hand and would have apparently served the purpose as well.
Let us look, for instance, at the rime gisah: gi in ah which
appears 9 times (I 8. 2 ; I 9. 32 ; II 6. 49 ; 9. 59 ; III 20. 28;
104 ; 147 ; V 8. 19 ; 12. 46) .
The form of gimah must remain invariable, but instead of
gisah the simple form sah might have been used without sub-
stantially changing the meaning of the line. That sah : gimah
never occurs seems to point to the fact that the poet employed
the compound verb in order to effect rime of the prefix in addi-
tion to that of the root syllable.
Likewise, the adverbial phrase in girihti, which appears 12
times in rime, stands in 5 cases rimed with forms in gi. Three
^ PGr.- II, 2, 109.
^The rime of past part. : past part, is excluded from consideration,
as gi would naturally occur here in both words, and fall under the
head of rime-parallelism. Cf. Vos, Rime-parallelism in O. H. G. verse,
Studies in honor of B, L. Gildersleeve, Baltimore, 1901.
PENULTIMATE RIME 21
of these are with gisiJiti (III 26. 58; IV i. 54; V 23. 177), one
with gikiiiJiti (IV 8. 22), and one with the verb gisliJitl (IV
4. 34), of which the uncompounded form does not occur in
Otfrid. There is also a phrase iji riJiti which, as Piper ^ justly
observes, has precisely the meaning of in giriJiti, i. e. " straight-
way," and if the correspondence of the gi forms is not aimed
at, why do we not have this in riJit'i riming with the above
words instead of in girihti?
The adjective ginuagi, in one or the other of its inflectional
forms appears 3 times in rime with the verb gifuagen. The
latter has an uncompounded form fnagen of like meaning,
which is rejected here seemingly to bring the agreement of
the prefixes into play. These 3 rimes are found in III 14. 71 ;
V 12. 68; V 25. 90.
So, too, in case of the rime ginuagi: gifiangi (III 16. 74),
there exists the simple form of the verb Hangi, but again we
have the compound form apparently for the reason above
given.^
The adjective ginuag appears in rime 10 times ; 8 of these
are with ginniag (pret. sg. of giwahan). Here, too, the agree-
ment seems to be sought for, in addition to the rime of the
accented syllable, for although the number of rimes in -uag
is only 38, still the percentage of rimes of ginuag with giwuag
is greater than one would expect, even though they are the two
most frequent rime words of the above ending.^
Whenever, therefore, we find both riming words of a couplet
compounded with the prefix gi-, we are justified in assuming
that its presence is intentional,* and that it serves as a slight
addition to the rime of the accented syllable or syllables.
^ Otfrid's Evangelienbuch, II. Theil, Glossar und Abriss der Gram-
matik.
^ The majority of the rimes of this type are of verbs, such as gihaltan
: giwaltan, that exist in both simple and compound form, or both
rime words are such as have only the gi forms, as gimurt : giburt, in
which case nothing can be proved from them.
^ The statistic is as follows: Total number of rimes in -uag^^S;
ginuag = 10; giwuag = 16; other words in -uag ^ 12.
* From an examination of the verbs and passages in question it does
not appear that the use of the gi- is in these cases due to any
special perfective function.
22 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
This conclusion would seem to indicate that Otfrid's atti-
tude was : the more agreement, the more rime, and this will
have to be borne in mind in the discussion that is to follow.
Turning now to the consideration of inaccurate penultimate
rime we may make 3 main divisions :
I. The vowels or diphthongs of the penult are identical, but
there is some consonantal inaccuracy. Cf . guatun : stuantun,
waltan : stantan.
II. The penultimate vowels or diphthongs are not wholly
identical, but contain some element of identity, with occasion-
ally an inaccuracy in the consonant. Cf. guate : drute; liuti :
riati; thurfti : ruafti.
III. The penultimate vowels or diphthongs are different.
Cf. harto : zvorto; wuntar: altar; ziti: noti.
Class I may be divided into the following two subdivisions :
A. One penult ends in a consonant, the other in a vowel or
diphthong.
B. The penults end in consonants that are not identical, but
are either (a) similar, or (b) dissimilar.
As examples under A may be cited such rimes as riatun:
giziartun; gimeinti: chuanheiti; giiatim: stuantun. This is not
a large category ; it contains 97 rimes, which occur in the
various books as follows :
I II III IV V Total
16 23 19 22 17 97
1.6% 2.7% 1.8% 1.9% 1.5% 1.9%
As the above percentages show, the ratio between the books
is not far from normal, though I and V should show a higher
percentage — particularly the former — as they contain the
largest amount of suffix rime.
The most noteworthy feature of this class of rimes is that
in two-thirds of them the extra consonant is either a nasal or
liquid, r and n being especially common, the former occurring
26, the latter 22 times.^ The reason for this predominance of
nasal and liquid is to be sought in the fact that they, as the
^ The others are I, 12 ; m, i ; of consonants that are not nasals or
liquids are found: t,y', h, 6; and others occurring only once each.
PENULTIMATE RIME
most sonorous consonants, would blend with, and offer least
hindrance to, the rime of the vowels. This consideration seems
to have influenced Otfrid in his selection of rime w'ords, for
there is a tendency to restrict these latter to certain rime
groups where the consonants in question appear. Cf. horti:
noti (II 5. 19; III 17. 30; IV 13. 52; IV 24. 2); gihorfa:
zverncta (III 20. 169), and hortun: rcdinotun (III 12. 9);
guati-.siuanti (II 2. 10; III 13. 58; 15. 21 ; IV 15. 56; IV 30.
12; 2)^^. 13) : b'lta-.'ilta (III 24. 40; V 7. 56. 65), and b'ltiin:
'iltun (V 4. 10; 5. 4); 'iltl: z'lti (I 22. 2; V 4. 11; 16. 7);
fuarta: guata (I 15. 11; II 4. 51). Other instances might be
given : they would all serve to show an effort to secure a sonor-
ous consonant for the one penult, as least disturbing the vocalic
agreement or rime.
Other rimes that may also be mentioned here are those in
which the initial consonants of the penults are identical. In a
subsequent discussion the attempt will be made to show that this
identity was sought for, as an additional element of rime in
the penultimate syllable. Those to be classed under I A are :
m'lnii \ urminnu (I 4. 50) ; abahofun: gihorfun (III 19. 19; 24.
no) ; gieiscofa: scolfa (IV 3. 20) ; bibiiiota: notta (IV 34. i).
Subdivision B of Class I consists of such rimes as zvaltan :
stantan : thulti : zviirti ; Iciffa: irdeilfa, etc. It exceeds the pre-
ceding class in frequency, comprising a total of 158 rimes,
which are divided as follows, under the groups (a) and (b),
as mentioned on page 22 :
I II III IV V Total
(a) 24 20 3S 28 22 = 129
(b) 10 8 2 5 4 =29
Total 34 28 37 33 26 =158
34% 3-1% 34% 3% 24% = 3-1%
Book I approaches here more closely to the percentage we
should expect from the amount of its suffix rime, than in A,
but \', contrary to our expectations, shows the fewest in-
stances of all.
Another peculiarity of this class consists in the frequency
with which tlie penult ends in a nasal or liquid. All the rimes
of subdivision (a) come under this head and in only 29 rimes,
24 SUFFIX RIME IN OFF RID
therefore, of the entire 158 are consonants other than these
used, 10 of these being found in Book I. In such rimes as
warten : halten we may accordingly assume intention to rime
not only the penultimate vowels but also the consonants, in
this case r and /, ending this syllable. That is to say, we have
a state of things similar to that already discussed in the rime
of final syllables. In the latter case, when not identical, the
initial consonants of these syllables are usually similar, the
riming of nasals and liquids with one another, as in scdni : wdi'i,
being very frequent. In the present instance, when we do not
get an accurate penultimate rime, such as Jienti : enti, there is
an effort to introduce such rimes as zvarten : halten, where the
penultimate consonants are similar and where their sonorous
quality actually becomes a feature of the rime, instead of hm-
dering it as other voiceless dissimilar consonants would do.
Rimes of / : 71 are especially numerous, appearing 63 times ;
/ : r shows 37 instances. No rime of / : in is found in this
class ; the others ^ are : n :r, 18 ; n : m, 10 ; r : m, 2. The order
of frequency of these consonants in rime is : I, 100 times ; n,
91 ; ^^ 57 ; w, 12. Here the condition of affairs is very similar
to the statistic given under the Ultima? That is to say, / and
n seem to be regarded as most similar, / and r next, and / and
m least similar of all. The only difference in the present case
is that 10 of the 12 rimes of ni are with n where we should
expect, proportional to the total number of n rimes, only 6.
This, therefore, points to m and n as the most similar of all
the nasals and liquids ; whereas, in the class referred to above,
the statistic showed m and r to be the most common combina-
tion, m and n, however, being a very close second.
In this division we may also observe the tendency toward
riming certain words together so often that they may, in so
far as the stem of the word is concerned, be said to form tvpi-
cal rime pairs. As examples of such typical rimes of l:n the
following may be mentioned :
I. Some inflectional form of gimeinen '.soxnt form of deilen
(vb.) \ gimeinta : (ir)dcilta (II i. 33; III 6. 41 ; IV 7. 71 ; 19.
* To these must, of course, be added the 29 referred to on p. 23.
^ P. 14.
PENULTIMATE RIME 25
69) ; gimcintnn'.irdciltun (IV 6. 15) ; gimciutT: irdcUtl (II 12.
78) ; ginicintur.gidciltln (IV 28. 4). Other rimes from these
same stems, which may be noticed here, aUhough they do not
belong to this class, as the penult does not end in a consonant,
are: ginicinc (vh.) : dcilc (II 13- 3^ ; V 20. 64); gimeinit:
irdcilit (II 9. 20 ; III 18. 20 ; II 12. 84) ; gimeini (adj.) : urdcili
(noun.) (Ill 16. 46; V 20. 2). These rimes are mentioned
in passing in order to show that it is not merely inflectional
forms that Otfrid associates, but the words themselves.
2. Some form of gimeinen : some form of heileri — gimeinta:
hcilfa (II 24. 9; III 4. 37; 14. 54: 16. 34; IV 2. I. 26; 12. 15) ;
gimcintl-.hciln (III 2. 6; 3. 6; 11. 6. 12).'
3. gkveltiihenfi (I 7. 13 ; 16. 28; II 4. 85 ; I3- 30 ; IV 11. 8).
4. gizvelti : e;z/t (I 15. 37 ; 28. 6 ; V 6. 60. 63 ; 25. 20. 102) .
5. zalta-.irkanta (I 13. 23; II 7- 62. 69; 12. 11), and others.
Examples of n : r are not so numerous, though there are a
number occurring twice. Cf. also wurtiin : bifuntun (I 8. 5 ;
V 6. 26; 23. 281).
Yov n \ m zi. stimna-. mimia (I9. n ; HI 22. 22 ; IV 33. 16 ; V
12. 57), and minnif.sfimnu (III 13. 12; IV 21. 34; V 12. 94;
20. 66).
For l:r cf. i. thnlti \ antzmirti (III 17. 38; 18. 37; 22. 35;
IV 19. 41; 23. 34; V 20. 81), and thidtiiwnrti (III 19. 25;
R' 10. 4; 15. 44).
2. Some form of hclfan: some form of zi'erfair'—z^'crfet:
gihelfet (II 11. 33) ; hiHit : nrzjuMt (II 17. 8) ; o-//n///l// : z^'urfm
(III 18. 70) ; gihelfe-.iirzvcrfe (III 4. 24; 17. 16).
3. Some form of zvarteii : some form of haltan — zijartcn :
haltcn (I 29. 9 ; II 4. 59) ; zvartes: haltcs (I 19. 12) ; giwartent :
gihaltent (II 19. 10).
4. /zar^o: managfalto (IV 9. 29. 32; 26. 25).
While this does not by any means exhaust the list of rime
groups, the above will be sufficient to show to how large an
extent they occur, and the explanation of their frequency is at
hand ; namely, that these rimes between nasals and liquids were
^ Similarly 5 rimes of gimeini (adj.) : hcili (noun).
- The rimes of hclfan : n'crfan afford an interesting illustration of how
Otfrid associates the words themselves together and not merely inflec-
tional forms.
26 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
regarded as good, and that two words of this sort having once
been used together one was Hkely to call forth the other
whenever afterwards employed.
There are 7 rimes belonging under this category, that have
the initial consonant identical, and they may be noted here, to
bear witness later on to the fact that this identity was sought
for. They are : gikundti : kunfti (I 23. 6 ; IV 18. 34) ; gihelfe :
irheffe (II 17. 17) ; werkeiii-welke (III 7. 67) ; eisconti: scolti
(III 15. 38) ; giliuhta: inliiihta (III 20. 146) ; intfuarta'.fiialta
(IV 31- 34).
This completes the discussion of our first main class and
brings us to Class II, in which the penultimate vowel or diph-
thong is not identical, but contains some element of identity,
with occasionally a consonantal inaccuracy. For convenience
we may further separate this class into two divisions :
1. The vowel of one penult rimes with one element of the
diphthong of the other penult.
a. With the first element of the diphthong, cf.
liuti'. zlti = 30
(3. W^ith the second element of the diphthong, cf.
zvara : fiara = 122
The riming of the vowel is, in over two-thirds of the cases,
with the second part of the diphthong.^
2. One element of one diphthong rimes with one element of
the other diphthong.
a. The first element rimes with the first element.
Ci. liuti iriati =z ig
(3. The first element rimes with the second ele-
ment. Cf. liuti: gimttati = 32
y. The second element rimes with the second ele-
ment. Cf. Harta : ruarta = 29
Total, 80
^ There is nothing surprising, however, in this, for over half the rimes
under 3, i. e. 89. are of a: ua (60) or a:ia (29). As a is the " hellste
Vokal " in German it is much better adapted to carrying the rime than
either the u or i in the above diphthongs ; so that although the stress
of voice is upon the first element of the diphthong, yet the second ele-
ment is intrinsically the more suitable for purposes of rime.
PENULTIMATE RIME
27
As the diphthongs in QUI High German are falHng diph-
thongs we should expect, as a rule, to find the first, or most
strongly stressed, parts of the diphthongs riming together, but
from a glance at the above it may be seen that this is the
smallest of the three divisions.
The reason for the so frequent appearance of sub-class y at
least will be clear when one considers that 19 of its 29 rimes
are of ua : ia, that is, rimes in which the second components of
the diphthongs can more easily carry the rime, they being
more sonorous than the first elements.
It would appear,' therefore, from categories a and y that
sonority of the vowel is of more importance in the rime of
diphthongs than mere stress, but it is a more difficult task to
explain why fi should be the most numerously represented of
all three categories.
A consideration of two points, however, will serve to show
that rime of the penult w^as undoubtedly intended, not only in
regard to sub-class ^, but in all examples included under our
main division II :
A. In addition to the vocalic agreements, the initial conson-
ant of the penult is sometimes identical. These cases are :
Under i: Tibcliebe (IV 37. 14; V 20. 45; 23. 55; 188);
I'lbe-.liabe (III 14. 8; V 20. 39); Tibes:Uobcs (I 16. 20);
wison : weison (I 18. 24; IV 15. 47) ; luto\liiito (IV 24. 13;
IV 26. 5) ; luti'.liuti (IV 33. 22) ; wari : Hhiiwian (III 4. 3) ;
sdzi:siia:;i (IV 4. 16; 5. 30) ; gifarflu : fuartln (IV 35. 25) ;
gimiiati: mammunti (V 23. 214).
Under 2: inliuhtc: Halite (I 12. 4) ; Hobo: giloiibo (III 2^.
8 ; IV 13. 28) ; leibfa : liiibfa (V 11. 43) ; Hiibi: giloiibi (V 7. 4 ;
20. 44); giliuben: giloiiben (I 26. 11; III 26. 12); liuti:
giloiibti (II 2. 9) ; liuti: bnltloiifti (III 8. 3).
B. We have again certain rime groups which would hardly
continue to appear with such regularity were the rime not in-
tended and felt in these cases as, at least, permissible. Only
a few will be cited. Under i are: zi'ari (adj. or vb.) : (gi)fuari
(noun or vb.), 5 ; luara (adj.) : fuara (noun), 5 ; zvani : fuani,
I ; wann (vb.) : fiiann (vb.), 2; wanin (vb.) : fuaritn (vb.), 5 ;
^ Cf. also I /3 and note.
21
17
36
39
26
139
12
10
i6
i8
12
68
3
2
3
2
3
\
5
3
4
|25
28 SUFFIX RIME IN OFF RID
guati-.dati, 15; liiiti or some inflectional form thereof: ziti or
some form thereof, 5 ; hiare : thare, 3 ; -flrliazi : sdzi, 3.
Of those under 2 may be mentioned, according to frequency :
gifiarta : niarta, 6 : //z/^/ : gimuati, 4 ; /in/// : guati, 4 ; /l^^ : liehe,
4; loufti-.anaruafti, 3, and others.
In order to give a clear idea as to how the rimes of the sub-
classes I and 2 are divided in the various books, a statistic of
the main class II is appended :
I II III IV V Total
(i) Vowel : elem. of diph.
(2) Elem. of diph. : elem. of diph. 12
Extra consonant in C 1.
one penult. \ 2.
36 34 58 63 41 232
3.6% 3.8% 5.2% 54% 3.7% 4.4%
Here, too, we do not get the larger percentage in Books I
and V to be expected from the larger amount of their suffix
rime, but even a somewhat less frequent use than elsewhere.
In stating this second main class,^ mention was made of an
occasional consonantal inaccuracy appearing in the penult.
As seen from the enumeration above, this inaccuracy takes
the form of an extra consonant ^ in one penult, as in ginuagi :
giangi, gimuati: niammiinti, etc., and plays only a minor role,
appearing in not quite one-ninth of the total number of ex-
amples. Of these 25 instances, the extra consonant is* a nasal
or liquid in four-fifths of the cases, thus again demonstrating
the preference for these.
We have now reached our third main category, in which the
penultimate vowels of the rime words are dissimilar. The first
question that presents itself is whether rime vowels may be dis-
similar, and yet the rime of the penults be maintained. Three
subdivisions of this class may be distinguished :
I. The penult ends in a vowel or diphthong.
A. The initial consonants of the penults are identical;
cf. doti : gidati,
' P. 22.
'Most frequently r=zS, or n=8;/^4;no case of m.
PENULTIMATE RIME 29
B. The initial consonants of the penults are not identical ;
cf. dati: noti.
2. One penult ends in a vowel or diphthong ; the other in a
consonant. Cf. guati: horti.
3. The penults end in consonants, which may be
(a) identical —
1. The initial consonants of the penult are identical;
cf. minno : nianno.
2. The initial consonants of the penult are not identical ;
cf. harto : zvorto.
(/8) Not identical, but
1. Similar.
A. The initial consonants of the penult are identical ;
cf. giborge: beige.
B. The initial consonants of the penult are not identi-
cal ; cf. zcunfar: alfar; or
2. Dissimilar;' cf. kundti: mahti.
In discussing the above question it seems advisable to start
with sub-class 3, as clearer and more satisfactory results can
thus be arrived at.
Let us consider first, then, 3a, where the final consonants of
the penultimate syllables are identical. The following 5 con-
siderations serve to show that we are justified in assuming
intentional rime in these combinations :
L The rimes occur frequently, 662 times in all, and form
about 13 per cent of the total amount of sufiix rime. The ex-
amples are distributed as follows over the various books :
Types.
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
minno : manno.
16
9
14
18
9
66
harto : zvorto.
95
120
127
132
122
596
III 129 141 150 131 662
Proper, of suffix rime. 11.4% 15% 13- 1% 137% 12.4% \l%
Book V and, more especially, I again fall short, as in all other
' The division into A and B is not necessary here as there is only one
example where the initial consonants of the penults are identical —
gisihti: ivahsenti (I 2^. 44).
30
SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
classes thus far treated, of the amount we should expect in
view of their larger percentage of suffix rime.
II. There is a marked tendency to end the penult as a nasal
or liquid, i. e. a sonorous consonant. The proportion of rimes
in which this is the case to that in which it is not is 459 : 203,
showing how favored the nasals and liquids were.' / and r
are most frequent, the former occurring 186, the latter 158
times ; n is found in 114 rimes, but strange to say no rimes of
m are present in this entire subdivision.
However, as has been noted in the previous classes, m is
much less frequently used than the other nasals and liquids.
As has already been suggested, Otfrid seems to operate upon
the principle that the more sonority there is in a syllable the
greater will be the rime effect produced. This principle has
already been illustrated ^ by such rimes as noti : horti.
Again, in the rime of a vowel with a diphthong,^ as in
ddti : guati, notwithstanding the heavier stress of the first ele-
ment of the diphthong, in the majority of these rimes the
vowel rimes with the second element, it being in most cases
the more sonorous part. Such rimes as luti'.giiati, i. e. with
the first element, are rare.
III. In addition to the final consonant of the penult, its
initial consonant is often identical, thus heightening the rime
effect. Cf. minno : manno. The number of instances coming
under this subdivision is 66, in all of which this identity must
be regarded as striven for, as an increase to the rime of the
penult : ( i ) Because this same feature has already been noted
in other categories of rimes, and will also be pointed out in
classes not yet discussed. To mention by way of anticipation
one other class outside of penultimate rime where this identity is
found, there is, in antepenultimate rime, a type obana : thanana,
occurring 42 times, and belonging to the same category but
with the initial consonant identical are such rimes as thanana:
thegana, 16 instances, of which the latter rime constitutes 12.
In obana : thanana there is really no agreement of the antepe-
^ Of the non-sonorous consonants there are 85 cases of rimes in j and
72 in h.
' P. 23.
^ P. 26 and note.
PENULTIMATE RIME 3 1
niilt. whereas in thanana : thcgana this syllable is brought into
rime by means of its identical initial consonant. The propor-
tion of the latter to the former class, constituting as it does
two-ninths of the total, is too great to admit of the identity
being explained as due to accident ; it is, therefore, to be re-
garded as a conscious effort to bring the antepenult into rime.
In the juiiuio: manno type rime may be already affirmed on the
basis of the identical final consonant of the penult, and w-e may,
therefore, go a step further and assume intentional corre-
spondence of initial consonant, a feature that we have already
seen playing a part in the rime of the prefixes gi : gi.
The ratio of the minno\ manno to the harto'.ivorto rimes is
about 1 : 9, which, with the evidence above given, is sufficiently
high to prove the point.
(2) Because there is a marked tendency to use these rimes
in groups, showing that the rime was pleasing enough to bear
repetition again and again. Cf. minno : manno, i ; minnon :
mannon, 9: wortori: ezvarton, 9; zvorte:ewarte, i; worto:
zi'idanuerto, 2 ; worton : zvidarzvertdn, 2 ; rehte : rihte, 3 ; zvorte :
antunirte, 3 ; lante : elilente, 3 ; lante: ilente, i ; zuoiti: giwelti, 2,
irwolli'.irwelli, i ; zvollent : zvellent, i ; wollet: wellet, i ; others
might be quoted, occuring once or twice and showing the same
identity as in the above rimes.
IV. The rimes of both the zvorto : harto and minnon : mannon
types must have been in good standing because, as already
shown above, in a part of this class, i. e. the minno '.manno
rimes, they are found so often in rime groups that intention
may be assumed. A few of the zvorto : harto type are harto
: zvorto, 67 ; drnhtin : mahtin^ 27 ; zvizzi : nuzzi, 10 ; foil on : zvil-
Icn, 22; zuillen (noun) \fnllen (vb.), 16: festi: briisti, 10; alle:
folle, 9: nahtes: rehtes, 5; fristi : fcsti, 6; thanne : zellenne, 3;
thanne: tJiariiine, 3; herton:zvorton, 5.
Grimm " places the rimes of the minno : manno type under
the rubric of identical rime ; but at the beginning of his study
he has defined riihrendcr rcim as follows: " Riihrender Reim
setzt vollige Gleichheit aller Buchstaben voraus." It appears,
' Cf. Refrain V 23.
^ Kleinere Schriften 4, 160.
32 SUFFIX RIME IN OFF RID
therefore, that he has departed from his definition with regard
to these rimes. PauFs designation (Grundriss," p. no) of this
type as " riihrender ungenauer Reim " contains a clear contra-
dictio in adjecto. The above discussion has presented these
combinations in a different Hght, and has served to show that
they are not to be regarded as identical rime ^ but should be
classified as inaccurate penultimate rime, exhibiting a some-
what more advanced stage than the harto : zvarto type, but
being of the same general nature ; that also this identity was
conscious, forming part of a plan to secure as much agreement
in the riming syllables as possible.
It may be objected that, if this latter observation be true,
Otfrid's conception of the most accurate rime would be identi-
cal rime. While such a statement would not be warranted,
yet Otfrid cannot be said to manifest a marked tendency
towards avoidance of identical rime, as 4^ per cent of the
entire body of his rimes consists of such.
The usage of the other rimed poems of the Old High Ger-
man period also corresponds rather closely to that of Otfrid,^
V. It can be shown in the majority of cases that the vowels
of the penults themselves, though not identical, are not ar-
ranged at haphazard with reference to each other, but that
there is a tendency to rime the vowels most closely related with
one another, thus bringing both consonant and vowel into rime.
As is well known,^ a as ' reiner \"okal ' is the most sonorous
of all the vowels, while n and / are the least sonorous. As
middle stages respectively between a and i and between a and
u lie e and 0. If, then, we examine the riming penultimate
vowels of 3a with these facts in mind, what conclusions can be
reached in ree;ard to the riminsf vowels?
First, as to the vowel a, 152 of the 344 instances are rimes
with 0. That is to say, nearly one-half of the total number of
rimes of a, the vowel occurring most frequently, are with 0,
and about a fourth of the 662 rimes of which this class is com-
posed are rimes between these two vowels. Both mid-back
^ Cf. Identical Rime.
' Cf. under Identical Rime, p. 61.
^ Cf. S levers' Phonetik, p. 78.
PENULTIMATE RIME 33
vowels, the one unrounded and the other rounded, they are the
two most similar and sonorous of the vowels, and their fre-
quency in rime together is thus fully explained, and must be
regarded as intentional. That this conjunction of a and is
not due to mere chance may be further enforced by the con-
sideration that proportionally to the total number of occur-
rences of a we should expect rimes with only 65 times;
whereas, as stated, these actually number 152.
This same effort can be demonstrated in the case of other
vowels that are similar, though perhaps not so clearly and
forcibly as in the above collocation. Thus, a : e occurs 79
times, this being, after a : 0, the most frequent rime of a, while
as regards e the latter vowel is found joined in rime with it
most frequently of all. Though the similarity is not as great
as in the former case, still it may be considered as sufficient.
Furthermore, e is third in order of sonority, the sequence being
represented bv a-o-e \^ . So that it would seem that in this
instance, also, the riming of a : ^ is to be explained on the same
score.
Sixty-three rimes of c : i are found, and 79 of i : 11. The
former class docs not call for any special comment ; in regard
to the latter it is noteworthy that in 47 instances, i. e. over half
of them, the consonant immediately preceding the i is zu. Cf.
irianntan : gihnntan, fiiUe : wille. The tendency of the w is to
produce the efYect of a rounding of the i, a sound similar
enough to n to be used in rime with it.
In the vowels riming together most extensively we may,
therefore, see a similarity, and in proportion as this likeness
decreases there is a corresponding decrease in the number of
times that such vowels are joined together in rime. Thus, a: i,
46; e'.o, 40; i'.o, 33, all of which figures are less than we
should expect in proportion to the total number of times that
the vowels concerned appear in rime. On the other hand,
similar vowels rime together usually about twice as often as
the proportion to their total number of occurrences would lead
us to expect.
If this investigation of penultimate vowels should be ex-
tended so as to include all classes of penultimate rime where
34
SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
the vowel is not identical, the above results would remain sub-
stantially the same. The vowel combinations occurring most
frequently are : a : o, a: e, e : i, and i : u. In the case of the
last mentioned the numerous instances may again in great part
be explained as due to a similarity between them, produced by
the presence of a w preceding the i vowel. Furthermore, there
are in most cases twice as many of these rimes as would be
found if they were due to accident and distributed proportion-
ally. Contrariwise, the more unlike vowels occur less often
together than can be justified or explained on any other score
than that of conscious avoidance.
Let us next take up the sub-class fB of the above ^ division 3,
in which the consonant ending the penult is not identical but
either (i) similar, or (2) dissimilar.
Nearly the same proofs may be applied here, in support of
penultimate rime, as in sub-class a.
I. Though not constituting as large a class as the former,
these rimes are not infrequent. Altogether 169 examples occur,
distributed as follows :
Types.
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
Jborge : beige.
\wuntar : altar.
2. kundti: mahti.
I
28
6
6
29
2
2
34
2
31
3
I
24
12
146
II
35
3-6%
2>7
36
36
3-2%
25
2.3%
169
It should be noted that 6 of the 11 rimes in which the con-
sonants ending the penults are dissimilar are in Book I. The
percentage of this book is slightly higher for the entire class
than that in any other book except II, but in neither I nor V
do we find as large a proportion as would be expected in view
of the extent of their suffix rime.
II. The penult syllable ends regularly in a nasal or liquid,
i. e. a sonorous consonant. Only 11 instances of other con-
sonants are found. The rime of r\n is quite common, occur-
ring 92 times; less frequent is I'.r (36 times), and l\n (22
times). The rime of m is rare, occurring in only 4 cases,
* Cf. p. 29.
PENULTIMATE RIME 35
which agrees with previous statements in other classes as to
its in frequency.
III. In addition to the similarity of the final consonant the
initial consonant of the penult is at times identical. This
identity, as already demonstrated, was striven for. The in-
stances are: zi'crkd)i : biwankoii (II 4. 88 ; 23. 11) ; antwurten
'.iventcn (IV 7. 22; 9.-5) ; milti: niainniiinti (II 16. 5; III 14.
Ill; 19. 12) ; zi'iirtitniwoltun (V 24. 9) ; giborge: beige (II
18. 15); giberge: abulge (I 23. 40); widarwinnon-.warndn
(II 3. 56); funtan: einfaltan (II 7. 55); gisihti : wahsenti (I
23.44).
IV. Notwithstanding the small size of the class, rime-groups
are present, showing that such a rime as wiintar : altar was
acceptable. Cf. manno : gerno, 9 ; inilti : antwurti, 8 ; a form of
findan : a form of zverdan, 6 ; a form of thenkeu : a form of
zmrken, 15 ; a form of githanko (noun) : a form of zverko
(noun), 13; managfalto-.ivorto, 4, and others of less frequent
occurrence.
V. The tendency to rime the most similar and sonorous
vowels may again be observed. The rime of i and « also is
frequent, but it should be noted that in 12 out of a total of 18
rimes, i is again preceded by w.
The above considerations serve to show that in class (i we
have penultimate rime, consisting in the rime of similar final
consonants and like vowels, with at times the additional agree-
ment of the initial consonant of the penult.
We are now prepared to take up classes i and 2 of the same
main category. These two are best treated together as 2 con-
stitutes so small a class. The statistics are :
Types.
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
Jdoti: gidati.
\ddti: noti.
2
2
2
5
II
43
43
74
92
76
328
2. gizitin : -wurtin.
15
5
10
10
6
46
60
48
86
104
87
385
6.1%
5.6%
7-9%
94%
8.2%
7.5%
As shown above, there is a redundant consonant in one
penult in 46 instances. Cf . guati : hortl; dati : hd}tti. These
36 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
latter do not interfere with the penultimate rime because in all
except 8 cases these consonants are nasals or liquids, and are,
therefore, sonorous elements. Of these, n and r are most
numerous, the former occurring i8, the latter 17 times. Only
three instances of / are found and none of m.
There is, then, a tolerably frequent appearance of rime of
this noti : ddti class, Book V containing its approximate pro-
portion, but Book I being still found wanting.
The tendency to group the rimes around certain words is
very marked, as in other classes. Thus, there occur : noti : dati
19 ; a form of not : a form of Hut, 14 ; noti : ziti, 16 ; noti : muati,
12; noti: guati, 12; ginoto: thrato, 8; ndti\arabciti, 5; wdra:
lera, 7; wdra\mera, 18; a form of zcarra form of diuri, 6;
datiiliuti, 12; giddtiin (wh.) : rietiin (vb.), 7; ddti: ziti, 3;
giiato: araheito, 7 (cf. V 23); guatl'.heroti, 3; giiate: gibiete
(vb.), 3, and others.
The initial consonant of the penult is sometimes identical,
though less frequently than in the classes already discussed.
The rimes are: ddti: giddti (V 7. 41) ; ddtmi'.hiddtun (V 34.
3) ; girdti: herdti (III 25. 21) ; mdruiarmeru (I 7. 10) ; ungi-
mezen : gimasen (V 10. 24) ; nidron : meron (III 7. 86) ; sdre
: sere (IV 34. 19); scdiiaz: scinaz (I 17. 19); Hebe : giloiibe
(V 23. 211); siintildsan-.ilrliasan (IV 26. 22); ginouianan:
niinan (V 7. 29).
A glance at the above rime groups shows how numerous the
rimes are of not in its inflectional forms with forms of ddt,
lint, zit, etc., as also the rimes between zvdra or some form of
war and lera, mera, etc. ; likewise, ddt, giiati, and others of less
frequent occurrence. The question now presents itself, how
can these extremely common rimes, such as noti: ddti, be ex-
plained unless we admit rime of the penult ? Tesch ' has ob-
served that nearly all the instances of noti, wdra, etc., vised so
frequently in the above rime groups, occur in rime in adverbial
phrases as mere rime padding, neither adding to nor detracting
from the sense of the line. If, then, such a rime as noti: ddti
were not considered good by our author, why should he have
^ Zur Entstehnngsgeschichte des Evangelienbuches von Otfrid (Greifs-
wald, 1890), p. 9 f.
\
;
PENULTIMATE RIME 37
used this combination so constantly? Nor can it be urged
that there were few other rimes in -Cifi to rime with dati and
that the makeshift was due to this fact. For, on consulting
Ingenbleek's Lcxikon, such rime endings are found in abun-
dance/ and it. therefore, appears that the rime of noti: dati was
not forced upon the poet but clearly chosen. By this is not
meant that noti does not occur in rime with other words in -oti,
for it does, though not quite as frequently as with the word
under discussion."
Similarily, n'ara in its various forms is a common rime used
in adverbial phrases as a pure rime expedient, and if we ask
ourselves the reason for its frequency of rime with such words
as leva and iiicra, a reference to Ingenbleek shows that here,
too, it was a question not of compulsion, but of choice. Other
rimes in -era occur often enough,' and could have been used in
place of z<.'ara had it been felt as at all objectionable.
It seems clear, therefore, that we must accept rime of the
penult in this class of w^ords, and an investigation of the riming
penultimate vowels will strengthen this point of view, as the
most similar vowels are found in rime together, just as in the
preceding category, where this question was sufficiently dis-
cussed. It may be added, however, that of rimes between a
diphthong and vowel, as in giiati : noti, the most frequent rime
is of iia : 0, occurring 43 times, in which we may consider either
the and 11, or and a as riming, both parts of the diphthong
being similar to the riming vowel in question.
It cannot be denied that there may be found such instances
as liiiti'.dati, ziti\ndti with tolerable frequency (i. e. 23 and
16 times respectively), where there is little or no similarity
between the vocalic elements, but in the majority of cases the
aim to rime similar vowels can be observed and intention
predicated.
When, therefore, we get the type ctti'.noti, both words
having primary accent and long vowels, I believe that we have
^ Rimes of -Sti: -ati=zyg; -5ti: -oti =^25; -dti : -oti =: 29-
^ noti : dati = 19 ; noti : -oti z=z 17.
^ -ara : -ara 18 times ; -era : -era 19 ; -ara : -era 28 ; wara : lera 7 and :
mera 18.
38 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
the inception of penultimate rime, for certainly such instances
as scmaz: sconaz must be looked upon as rime, and though
these are rare as compared to the total number of this class,
they, nevertheless, show one of the first steps.
Secondly comes the noti'.dati types, where the similarity of
the vowels and their sonority constitutes the rime, and which
points the way to the final stage, i. e. identity of the vowels and
accurate penultimate rime, cf . ddti : spati.
In our examination of penultimate rime hitherto we have
found the final syllable always identical, but we are now to turn
our attention to rimes in which the initial consonant of the
ultima is different, although its vowel is the same. This lat-
ter constitutes a much smaller class than the preceding, the
ratio being about i6^ to i.
We may distinguish two divisions: (i) The initial con-
sonants of the ultima are similar, cf. wdra'. zala, and (2) The
initial consonants are not similar, cf. lihe : sine. The total
number of penultimate rimes comprised under i is 355, these
forming over one-half of the entire number of rimes in which
the final syllable is not identical. The rimes included under i
are of nasals and liquids, and of d : n. They are given below
in order of frequency : / : n^ 94 ; ng :n, 62; d: n, 54 ; m : n, 31 ;
l:r, 31; n:r, 30; m:r, 22; l:ng, 14; d\ng, 10; I'.m, 5; ng:
m, 2.
These rimes have been discussed at length under Ultima^
where the riming quality of such combinations as d : }i, which
might be doubted, was made evident ; it is, therefore, not neces-
sary to consider this point again in this connection.
The way in which the rimes are divided will appear from
the following table:
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
84
6s
73
46
87
355
The larger amount in I and V is no doubt explained by their
greater proportion of sufiix rime as compared with the other
books; in Class I, that is where the final syllable is identical,
we found these two books usually lagging behind in point of
frequency of rimes, although we expected them, to forge ahead
PENULTIMATE RIME
39
for the reason above given ; we here see where, at least in part,
this greater percentage makes its appearance.
As in the preceding class, rime groups still hold their own,
a few of which may be noted, from the various divisions of
this main class :
An inflectional form of sui (poss. pron.) : a form of blidi
(adj.), 12; fJilucji: luldcii, 11; thanncallc, 15; uianne\alle, 5;
a form of iiciiiicu: a form of ::cllc]i, 8: a form of gimcinew.
deilcn, 7; giuiciiii: Jicill, 7; a form of iiidri : a form of seltsani,
8; qiidiiiini :zi'anin, 9; meiiia : goujiia, 4; era'.scla, 7; mera:
scia, 6; a form of bigijinan : a. form of thingen, 5; a form of
higinnan: a form of ringan, 7; gauge: thanne, 6; sindes: hei-
minges, 4.
The above were cited in order to show the frequency with
which a certain rime group is repeated in this small class of
355 instances. An examination of them will also bring out
the fact that, as we should expect, there is a conscious effort
to bring the penults into rime.
Neglecting for the present the difference in the final syllable,
and taking into account the penult alone, we may arrange these
rimes under the same rubrics as those given in our main Class
I, and we shall see that they conform perfectly to this
arrangement.
Corresponding to accurate penultimate rime of the above
class, such as hl'ide-.nlde, we have here zCda\z<.'dra, iiuie :
kinde, s'mw.hl'idu, gimeinen: deden, higinnew. siiide, etc.
This type includes 154 rimes, i. e. over half of the total
number of the class, which again illustrates the fact that rime
of the penult was aimed at as well as of the ultima.
Of rimes in which the initial consonants of the penults
heighten the rime effect by being identical there are : zvdni :
wdri (I 15. 23) ; niheine: heime (I i. 94) ; niheuian: heilaii (I
I. 98); riiarit : niauiit (II 2. 19); niheiiier: heiler (III 21.
2y) ; gincndu : ncnnii (III 22. 58) ; m'lnan : midan (IV 26. 30) ;
seltsdne : sd7'e (V 12. 17).
Corresponding to the type noti: horti, there are only 3 rimes,
namely, riiame: duanne, andremo: gerno, and loiignen: gou-
uicji; but such rimes as tliaiinc: alle, zcUen: nennen, corre-
sponding to the type hcilfa: giniciiifa are again numerous, there
40 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
being 102 instances; the penult ends in a nasal or liquid in all
cases.
Of the type giiati : ddti there is a very small representation in
Class II, only 3 rimes being found: heilen: thine n; mdrun:
thiarnun, and waltendan : einan.
The type represented in Class I by riati : giiati, comprises
here only 4 examples, namely: zioro: stuolo ; diiira: eina;
ziaro: thiojio, and fuanin:iiahin (IV 16. 42), in the last of
which the initial consonant of the penult is identical.
Of the type worto : harto of Class I there are only 5 rimes
in Class II: wamie : mende , manne\kinde, mannon:undon 2,
sindes : siiimmannes.
Of the w lint ar : altar type, where the penultimate consonant
is not identical but similar, the rimes are more numerous, i. e.
59 ; in 3 cases the initial consonant is identical, corresponding
to the borge: beige class of I, viz., thanne: thinge (II 6. 45) ;
werreniwoUen (IV 14. 16); stirri: gistelU (V 17. 29). The
final consonant of the penult is in each case a nasal or liquid,
and this class, as well as the others above mentioned, has ex-
actly the same characteristics as the corresponding types of
Class I, leaving out of consideration, of course, the ultimate
syllable.
There occur 25 rimes of the ndti:ddti type, such as wari
: sconi, want : Rfimii, etc., in 8 of which the riming vowels are
a: 0, i. e. the two most similar vowels. Moreover, the initial
consonant of the penult is in 3 cases identical : scire : sme
(IV 7. 33; 19. 5) and wdra-.wtla (IV 13. 4), again illus-
trating the effort to rime the penult, even though the vowels
are not identical.
So much, then, for penultimate rime in which the ultimate
syllable is not identical, as in Class I, but similar. As regards
our second class, in which there is no similarity of the begin-
ning consonant of the final syllable, as in lihe: thine, sluagun
: wdmn, etc., little discussion seems necessary, as it exhibits
the same features as the preceding classes and the same aim
may be observed to bring the penult into rime. It remains,
however, to show in what proportion this rime is found in the
various books, and under what types it is to be classified.
PENULTIMATE RIME 41
There are 269 rimes belonging- here, this being the smaller
of the two classes. Thev are divided :
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
74
30
45
SZ
67
269
It will be noticed that in this class, as in the preceding,
Books I and \ , and more especially the former, contain more
rimes than the remaining books. If the examples for these
two classes be added together, the result is as follows :
I
II
III
IV
V
Tota
Class I
84
65
72>
46
87
355
Class 2
74
30
45
53
67
269
158 95 118 99 154 624
The question now to be answered is, wdiat part of the penul-
timate rime of each book does the rime of the above classes
form ?
Penultimate rime, in all its types, is distributed as follows :
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
804
767
963
948
956
4438
Classes i and 2 form the following percentages of the total
penultimate rime: I, 19.7 per cent; II, 12.4 per cent; III,
12.3 per cent; I\^, 10.5 per cent; V, 16.1 per cent.
What may we conclude from the fact that V, and more
especially I, are distinguished from the other books in their
more frequent use of penultimate rime in which the final syl-
lable is not identical? May we not assume, on the basis of
this evidence, that I and V are of earlier origin? It seems
quite reasonable to regard such rimes as s'lne : m'lde, gdbi : zcari
as marking an earlier and less skilled period in the career of
our poet, particularly in consideration of the fact that rimes in
wdiich the final syllable is identical are so very much more
predominant. In view of the other stylistic peculiarities of
Book 1/ which are usually explained as due to an earlier date
^ Especially rimeless verses and the use of alliteration. Cf. Koegel,
Deutsche Litteraturgeschichte, I 2. 23 and 40, and PG^ II, 116.
42
SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
of composition, the evidence above cited materially strength-
ens this point of view for this book at least, containing as it
does the largest proportion of the wdra : ^ala rimes.
Returning to Class III, we observe how rime groups are
still a favorite expedient ; to the accurate type of this class
belong : scozvon : ongon, i6 ; boiinie : gilonhe, 9 ; I'lhe : thine,
14 (cf. V 23); quamun : gisahim, 7; hoho: scono, 5. Rimes
of this accurate penultimate type comprise 167 instances, i. e.
over one-half of the total 269 of this class.
The following have the initial consonant of the penult identi-
cal : Maria :mdra (I 6. i) ; werdaniwerban (III 6. 21);
gdhi: gigdhi (IV 14. 10); iidhit:gindit (IV 29. 9). The
other types are so few in number that no rime groups occur
sufficiently often to deserve mention.
Type notiihorti of Class I, only 8 examples. Cf. liobon:
thioriidn, geistes: giheizes, tothes'.heimortes, etc.
Type hcilta: gimcinta, also 8 instances. Cf. stimmon: kin-
don, erdu; zellu, sorgon : follon, etc.
Type guati : ddti, 6 rimes. Cf. lieben : thlnen, sluagun :
wdrun, muates : anhiz!:es, etc.
Type riati : guati, only 5. Cf. liobcr : niamer, hoitbit : fiiagit.
Type zvorto: harto, 10. Cf. selben: galgen, zvarba: erda,
alles : feldes.
Type zimntar: altar, 20; in 17 of which the final consonant of
the penult is a nasal or liquid. Cf. zverbent: folgent, belgan
:biginnan. Cf. also, zjoerdeizjuoUe (I 5. 63).
Type ndti:ddti, 22 rimes. Cf. hohiiddti, sina::: gistdtaz,
irldren:zvezven, liobon: ginuagon. Also zjudrdn:zvezvon (III
16. 28).
Type ddti: Jionti, 18 instances in which the extra consonant
is predominantly sonorous, i. e. a nasal or liquid. Cf. stantan
: sconan; thinaz: gihdrtaz; slnaz: fuUoitac, and others.
Penultimate-Antepenultimate Rime
Before passing to a discussion of antepenultimate rime, we
have to deal with a small number of rimes, 104 altogether, in
which there is undoubtedly rime between the penult of one
word and the antepenult of the other.
PEN UL TIM A TE-AN TEPEN UL TIM A TE RIME
43
A few such rimes may be cited by way of illustration :
folgrfun '.zi'oltiDi : gitJiaJit'i'. ahtonti; noti: stozenti; not'r.fol-
geti; gici}idtun\ gidciltun ; farcta : 7'uarta ; ajidrcmo -.ango;
wurzchln-.bhiouiun; ougun: giscozvotun; luubi: mennisgi.
As the above instances show, the antepenult is long in every
case, thus allowing secondary stress on either of the following
syllables. We may assume, however, that it is the ultima that
here bears the heavier of the secondary stresses, and that the
penult is slurred, forming a mere glide from the antepenult to
the ultima. For example, the rime of the first words of the
above is a proof that they should be accented thus : folgetun
: ivoltiin, as only by such stress can the riming parts be brought
into prominence.
These rimes fall into the same categories with regard to the
ultima as those of penultimate rime, namely: I. The final
syllable is identical, naturally the largest division, containing
60 rimes, i. e. over half the total number.
II. The vowel of the ultima is identical, but the initial con-
sonant is only similar, the smallest class, with only 9 rimes.
III. The vowel of the final syllable is identical, but the
initial consonant is neither identical nor similar.
Here are found 35 instances, making in all a total of 104.
These are distributed as follows among the various books :
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
Class I
16
6
16
13
9
60
Class II
I
2
I
9
Class III
19
I
4
2
9
35
•iC
7
21
17
19
104
4-1%
0.81%
1.9%
1-5%
1.8%
2%
It will be noticed that Book I contains about two-fifths of
the total number, i. e. 4.1 per cent of its total suffix rime is
made up of such rime. This is, again, an indication, appar-
ently, of the earlier composition of this book.
In contrast to the type folgetun : zvoltiin we may mention
such rimes as einotun : dotim, an entirely common and char-
acteristic type in Otfrid, in which both secondary accents have
their full stress, and penult rimes with penult.
44
SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
Antepenultimate Rime
While antepenultimate rime, such as worahta: forahta, can-
not be compared, in point of frequency of occurrence, with
penultimate rime, the proportion being only i to 9, it is found
not infrequently and is no doubt aimed at; its use is naturally
more restricted than that of penultimate rime, because of the
greater inherent difficulty of finding rime words of three syl-
lables than of two. In so far as the final syllable is identical
we may thus divide the rimes :
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
I. Accurate. 5
6
9
12
6
38
2. Others. 82
53
64
88
61
348
Total 87
59
72>
100
e?
386
9%
67%
6.6%
8.9%
6.2%
ym
In view of the fact that both the antepenult' and the penult,
with reference to consonants as well as to vowels, have to be
taken into account in this kind of rime, it is not surprising
that the possible types of this class as well as those actually
occurring should be so numerous. They will not, therefore,
here be exhibited in detail. A few examples of both the
accurate and inaccurate types may serve as illustrations :
githrewita: gistrewita; thegana: segana; kordtiiworolti; ha-
beti: sageti; msamane: habanne; lobonti'.worolti; tunicha:
diiirltcha; klagonti: sagenti; lobontiiwonenti; habetiin \ gidra-
gotnn; sageta: mahalta; HUennes'.brennennes; gimlofi: Jwloti;
samanon: theganon; woroiti :beranti; garota:zvorahta; sageta
: betota, etc.
The main accent in such rimes is regularly on a short ante-
penult {thegana), there being no stress on the penultimate
syllable.
How do Classes II and III,' in which the ultimas in the one
case begin with similar consonants and in the other with dis-
similar, compare with Class I above, in which the ultimate syl-
lables are identical? We find the same types of rime as in
I, although they do not occur so often. The statistic is as
follows :
^ Cf. p. 43.
ANTEPENULTIMATE RIME 45
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
Class II
7
12
9
15
25
68
Class III
3-2
II
19
23
10
95
Total
39
23
28
38
35
163
4% 2.6% 2.5% 3-3% 3-2% 3-1%
The total number grouped under these two classes is not
quite half as large as where the final syllable is identical ;
Otfrid is, therefore, on his guard in the case of antepenulti-
mate rime with regard to the ultima.
Examples of II are: gisidili: nidiri ; thcgana:regnla, himile
': li'idirc ; himile : nidavc ; rcdinii : iiidiru; gibilidot : giredinot;
hiihila: obana, etc.
The rimes of the final syllables, or rather the initial conson-
ants of the syllables, are as follows : n: 7% ig ; n : I, i^ ; n : d, it, ',
11 : )ig, 5 : // : ni, ^\ l\r, 10; /: ng, i. It will be noticed that n
is much more frequent in these rimes than any other consonant.
As illustrations of Class III may be mentioned : hredigii :
redinu; mcnigi: zueUfi; edili: bilidi; managi: gisamani; pal-
inza : drurcnta, etc.
Paul notices in these two classes the tendency toward such
rimes as ingegini: uicnigi, in which at least one of the con-
sonants of the last two syllables is the same, but the order in
one is the reverse of that in the other. If we examine the
rimes of Class II according to this principle, we find that
nearly one-third, i. e. 19 of the total 64 are of this nature. To
make the point of view quite clear w'e cite in full : redinu :
frewidii, 6; redina: selida; rediiidu : bilidou, 2; tliegand: kitn-
^f^S^y 3; githigine •.kuningc, i; offonoro: Judeono, i; einbo-
ronon : widoron, i.
Class III shows this tendency most clearly, for in 36 of its
86 instances both consonants are the same, and in 14 other
cases one consonant is identical, as in Class II above. The
examples are: ingegini: menigl,'^ 28; githigiiil: vienigi, 2;
kisild : felisd, i ; nianaga : sfigaiia, i ; niauaga : thegand, 2 ; ma-
nagcn: geganen, i; managan: gilegenan, i; edili : bilidi, i.
Also, nioiigJ: gisaniaiii, i ; uicnigu : redinu, i ; githigini: hebigi,
^ g and 11 are especially frequent in these syllables.
46 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
I ; regula: hrediga, i ; bilidi: fravili, 3 ; manage : zisamane, i ;
manage : giscrihene, i ; managu : redinu, i.
The ratio of frequency of this rime is too large to admit of
the supposition that it is due to mere accident; it is rather to
be regarded as a distinct feature of Otfrid's rime technic, and
Paul is doubtless right in regarding such rimes as intentional.
The entire range of antepenultimate rime may be exhibited
in the following table:
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
126
82
lOI
138
102
549
13%
94%
9.2%
12.3%
9-5%
10.8%
In Book I we find the largest proportion of this kind of rime,
and an explanation is thus afforded as to the reason for a
smaller percentage on the part of I in some types of penulti-
mate rime.
The same evidence that was adduced in the case of the latter
rime may again be resorted to in the present discussion, and it
leads us to the conclusion that, while antepenultimate rime
does not represent Otfrid's norm of rime, yet where such rimes
do occur they are due to a conscious intention on the part of
the poet to bring the syllables in question into rime.
This evidence — to recapitulate it — consists of : I. The fre-
quency of rime groups. The following may be mentioned:
Class I: forahta-.zvorahta, 10; zelita'.welita, 5; thageta:
sageta, 4; scganon: theganon, 3; werita'.nerita, 3; Uriorane:
giborane, 3; legitun: zelitun, 4; hahetun: sagetim, 3; redina:
the gaud, 9, and redindn\theganon, 7; thanana-.thegand, 12;
ubill: fravili, 6; obana: thanana, 3; ftirisfon: heriston, 4; sitoti:
irretiti, 5; sagetun: zelitun, 10; managen : heblgen, 4; worolti:
sageti, 3.
Under Class II, where the initial consonants of the final
syllables are similar, but not identical, we find : redinu : fre-
zvidu, 6; redina: seli da, 5; nidare: himile, 5; sidilon-.redinon,
3 ; redinon : koberon, 5.
Under Class III, where the initial consonants are neither
identical nor similar, are the following: ingegini: menigi, 28;
bilidi : fravili, 4 ; bilide : fravile, 3 ; menigi : githigini, 4 ; redinon :
bredigon, 8 ; manage : gar awe, 3.
ANTEPENULTIMATE RIME
47
II. The identity of the initial consonant of the antepenult, as
a means of bringing^ this syllable into rime, or heightening the
rime effect; cf. selidoji: salidoii. This effort may be most
clearly proved from such a type as sainandii: theganon. Of 14
rimes of this kind 12 are of thegand:thanana, showing that
Otfrid resorted to this means as an expedient for securing rime
of the antepenult.
Beginning, as before, with the examples of our largest main
class, I, we find: cisaiuane : sabane (V 6. 57); zisamane:
saganne (II 9. y2>) 5 zilotun: gizeinotun (IV 37. 17) ; zvoroiti:
ivorahti (II i. 37; III 20. 156; IV 26. 21) ; worolti'.wonanti
{Y 25. 94) ; iingiwifiri: zvidari (III 8. 10) ; gigarotin : gagantin
(I 23. 13) : uiinuduti: meindati (I 4. 8) ; thanana: fhegana (I
3. 26: II. 27; II 21. 39; III 6. II ; 9. 3; 20. 3; IV 7. I ; 22. 19;
30. 30; 35. 21; V 9. 3; 21. 25; 22. i) ; selidon: salidon (I 7.
24) ; zaii:eii\ zeliti (V 13. 12, 14) ; sitota: sageta (IV 11. 26) ;
zisamane-.schanne (I 9. 7); zvoroiti'' -.w-unsgenti (I 11. 32);
zi'oraiti : irzi'eliti (V i. 2); irzvorolti'.zvegonti (I 7. 26);
lebenti: giloiibenti (I 6. 6); gilebetnn: lobottm (I i. 126);
drnhtine : dretanne (I 4. 46) ; gihogeti: habeti (I 9. 22) ; o-/^j-
tdti:£rseliti (IV 11. 4); Hrlorane'.biladane (IV 5. 11).
As to our main classes, II and III, it may be stated that they
contain no examples of the above, strangely enough, as Class
I shows a quite frequent usage, the proportion to the total
number of rimes under this class being 36 to 386, or i: ii.
W^hile it is true that the other two main classes are much
smaller than I, containing respectively 68 and 95 rimes, wx
should, nevertheless, expect several instances of the above
type.
III. Where there is no identity of the antepenultimate vow-
els, i. e. in three-fifths of the instances, an investigation shows
that, as in penultimate rime, it is the most similar vowels that
rime most frequently, namely, a \ 0, a: e, and e : i. Rimes of
/: u are extremely rare, and several of these are explained by
the same rounding influence of a zv that we have before wit-
nessed in the case of penultimate rime on page 33.
^ Note the frequency of worolt in these combinations.
48 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
As soon as such a type as sdgetd : hetota appears, there seems
to be the inception of rime ; next comes the type sdgetd : holotd,
in which the antepenultimate vowels are similar, and finally
the accurate stage forahta : worahta, with all the stages between
that affect the penult.
Other Old High German Monuments
In order to show the relation of the other Old High German
rimed poems to Otfrid, a few words may be said regarding
their rime usage.
The following percentages ' will serve to show what pro-
portion of each poem is made up of suffix rime, and how this
compares with Otfrid's use :
Otfrid, 71.7 per cent; Ludwigslied, 54.2 per cent; Georgslied,
58.9 per cent; Petruslied, 50 per cent; Christus u. d. Samari-
terin, 48.4 per cent ; Psalm 138, 40 per cent. That is, none
of the' poems approach Otfrid so far as this rime is concerned,
as we find him using 12.8 per cent more than the Ludwigslied,
this containing, next to Otfrid, the highest amount.
As to the vowel of the final syllable, we may perceive the
same care exercised as in Otfrid, and only very rarely do we
find such vowels not identical except in Psalm "" .138, where this
is frequently the case.
So far as it is a question, however, of the identity of the
entire final syllable, it must be confessed that one finds this
much less often than in the rimes of Otfrid, as the following
statistic, showing the percentage of suffix rime with identical
final syllable, will show : Otfrid, 83.8 per cent ; Ludwigslied,
56.2 per cent ; Georgslied, 60.6 per cent ; Petruslied, 66^ per
cent; Christus u. d. S., 33^ per cent; Psalm 138, 28.6 per cent.
If we proceed as previously, and divide the suffix rimes of
these smaller monuments into penultimate and antepenultimate
rime, the results are :
^ See Vos, Rime Parallelism in O. H. G. verse, Studies in Honor of
B. L. Gildersleeve, p. 441.
^ This is probably due to its later date.
Georgslied,
727
Petruslied,
100
Christus u. d. S.,
643
Psalm 138,
93
IDENTICAL RIME 49
Penultimate Rime. Antepenultimate Rime.
Ludwigslied, 68.7 per cent. 31.3 per cent.
27.3 "
^ 00.0
35.7 "
it _ li
Penultimate rime forms 87.2 per cent of Otfrid's rimes, and
antepenultimate only 10.7 per cent, the remaining 2.1 per cent
being made up of penult-antepenultimate rime.
There is, therefore, a less frequent use of the former in the
smaller monuments, and correspondingly more of the latter,
including under both heads, of course, both accurate and inac-
curate types. As to other points, we may notice the same
method of rime as found in Otfrid, both as to his tendency to
rime the prefixes gi- together, and to heighten the rime efiFect
by identity of the initial consonant of the penult or antepenult.
Cf. kiscirres: kiscephes (Christus u. d. S. 13); gidanchun:
gizuancJwii ; gkvar: gipar (Psalm 138, 11. 5 and 22) ; giborana:
berega (Christus u. d. S. 29); fahair.iiUan; kaiiiaro : kunin-
giiiiw (Georgslied, 11. 36 and 49) ; kitoiii: gekunni; lides:llbes
(Ludwigslied, 11. 54 and 51).
Identical Rime
By identical rime is meant here rime in which the riming
words or syllables are perfectly identical in form. With re-
gard to rime of this sort B. J. V^os ' remarks as follows : " To
a modern ear this kind of rime seems objectionable and we
find that for the Middle High German poet, too, it did not
occupy the same position as ordinary rime. This is clearly
shown not only by its low ratio of frequency but also by the
limitations with which its use was attended. Identical rime
may then be regarded as by nature a makeshift, used mostly
where there was a paucity or entire lack of other rimes. From
this principle there follows that as the technical skill of the
poet developed, his recourse to this makeshift would become
less and less frequent. Alongside of this increase in the poet's
resources we must suppose that there was developing a finer
^ Diction and Rime-Technic of Hartman von Aue, p. 60.
50 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
feeling for the imperfections of this kind of rime : refinement
of feehng for form went side by side with a greater versatiHty
in the employment of resources at command."
Zwierzina^ assumes substantially this same attitude, and
shows with what care the more skilful Middle High German
poets avoided its usage, as offensive to good taste.
In a study of Otfrid's rime, the question at once arises, how
did he regard identical rime? Was his frame of mind toward
it the same as that of the above-mentioned poets, or was it
not displeasing to him, and did he resort to it frequently ? We
know that he uses various other expedients, such as adverbial
expressions for instance, to secure rime, and the question, there-
fore, presents itself whether he perhaps makes so free a use
of identical rime that it, too, may be regarded as due to the
same exigency; or whether in certain books a decrease can be
traced.
W. Grimm ^ has already enumerated the instances of identi-
cal rime, but there are quite a number of omissions, and many
of the rimes cited by him have to be excluded, not only accord-
ing to the definition above given, but also according to Grimm's
own definition.^ These cases will be discussed in their proper
place. It was such circumstances as these that made a fresh
classification of Otfrid's identical rimes and an effort to estab-
lish his point of view seem desirable.
We may classify the instances under the following cate-
gories :
I. Complete identity of the riming words, both in form and
meaning. Cf. ist : ist; thir : thir; mlmt : mimi.
II. Complete identity in form, difference in use or meaning.
Cf. sin (inf.) : sui (pron.) ; lihe (noun) : libe (verb) ; eino
(adj.) : eino (adv.).
III. One rime word is identical in form with part of the
other.
A. The riming parts are from the same stem.
a. Simplex : compound. Cf. richi: himilrlcJii; kind'.the-
gankind.
'ZfdA., 45, 286 f., "der rfihrende reim."
^Kleinere Schriften 4, 159 i.
' P. 31.
IDENTICAL RIME 5 1
B. Riming- parts are not from the same stem.
a. Simplex : compound. Cf. antwurti (noun) : zvurfi
verb) ; in alwari : zvari (verb).
/3. Simplex : secondary syllable or syllables. Cf. iiote :
cinote : sim : Jicrasioi; )idt: giredijwt.
I\". Tlie parts preceding the rime syllables are dissimilar.
A. Dissimilar prefixes. Cf. iirliad\hiliazi; bigeigige.
B. Adverbs in -licho. Cf. iogilicho : guallicho ; baldltcho:
thcganUcho.
C. Compounds in -/I/z. Ci. stiviillJi : giliJi.
D. Others. Cf. iimbiring (adv.) : woroltring (noun) ;
tharasiin (adv.) : drutsun (noun).
We shall now take up these categories in turn, state the num-
ber of occurrences of each combination' in the several books,
and, where it seems desirable, discuss the instances :
I. Complete identity of the riming words, both in form and
meaning.
A. Parts of the verb " to be " : ist :ist {I i;ll ^', III 2) ;
was : was {1 2) ; si: s'l'' (III 2 ; V 7) .
B. Pronouns.
a. Personal : thir: thir (II 2 ; III i) ; thih : thih (V 2) ;
mill : mih (III 1) ; iniin (I i ; III 2 ; IV 3 ; V 2) ; iu : iu
(III i; IV 5; V I).
^. Demonstrative: thaz'.thaz (II i; III 7; V i) ;
thes: thes (V i) ; thiw. thin (II 2; III 3; IV 2).
y. Possessive: mm: mm (III i) ; mimt'.mmti (III i).
8. 7iiwtht : niwiht (II i).
C. Adverbs : to : io (I 1) .
Summary : I 5 ; II 10 ; III 21 ; IV 10 ; V 14 = 60.
Of two other examples, the one, eigi (vb.) : eigi (vb.) is re-
jected by Grimm because Ms. F has neigi in one case; it has
therefore, not been included here. The other instance is found
in III 7. 42, goiima: goiimd (nim es harto gouma, thiz sint
thio selbun gouma). These two words are not identical in
meaning and cannot, therefore, with Grimm, be classed under
the above category-; for the phrase gouma neman in the sense
^ Six of these rimes in Book V occur in a refrain in Chapter I.
52 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
of " wahrnehmen, beachten," introduces an appreciably differ-
ent use of the word from that of the nominative plural in its
regular substantive meaning.
The rimes of this class are then, with the single exception
of io : io, parts of the verb ' to be/ or are pronouns ; excluding
mmii and niwiht they consist only of monosyllabic words.
Their unequal distribution in the various books must also be
noticed, for while III, with 21 instances, leads the list, IV, of
equal length, has only half as many identical rimes; likewise,
II, of the same length as I, has double the instances of I,
w^hich contains the fewest examples. While the number of
these rimes may seem rather large in itself, it should be borne
in mind that this class contains less than one-fifth of the total
amount of identical rime. The words used are of common
occurrence, and are found, for the most part, frequently in
rime. An examination of the rime endings in which they figure
shows that Otfrid had three options for rime: (a) another
root syllable; (b) identical rime; (c) inflectional syllable.
Although accurately riming words under (a) are as a rule
limited in number, his preference for them as over against
those of (c) is shown by the number of times these combina-
tions occur, the words found most frequently in identical rime
being those used most often in conjunction with other root
syllable rimes."^
The fact, then, that there is a somewhat numerous represen-
tation of this class, does not necessarily mean that Otfrid had
an inclination towards such rime. It seems to be rather a ques-
tion of rime expediency, an effort to rime root syllable with
root syllable, this effort resulting at times in identical rime;
but that there is a tendency to differentiate to a certain extent
between identical rimes may be seen from the discussion under
Class II.
We now proceed to an examination of the rimes of Class II.
^ tJiac: tJwj:, 9; but cf. thaz'.zvas, 44; -.has, 9; : alloc, 13; : hcbigac,
7; : s'lnaa, 7. ist : ist, 7; cf. ist: hist, 15; : krist, 8; : frist, 7. thir: thir,
3; cf. thir: mir, 27. thih: thih, 2; cf. thih: mih, 8; : sih, 4. mih: mih, i.
in: in, 8; cf. in: bin, 7; :ln, 8 (see under Class II). mm (poss.) : mm
(poss.), i; cf. mm:sm, 42; : thin, 11. iu:iu, 7; thiu:thiu, 7; cf.
iu : thiu, 17.
= 6
= I
IDENTICAL RIME 53
Tn this class we find complete identity in form, difference in
use or meaning.
^7;/ (pron.) : sm (inf.) I i ; II i ; HI I ; IV i ; V i ^
^'7;/ (pron.) : .s-7// (subj. vb.) Ill I
cr (pron.) : cr (adv.) I i
ubaral :al (pron.) II i ~ o
/;/ (pron.): 7;/ (adv.) II I ; III 2; IV 4; V I = 8
mill (poss. pron.) : mln (pers. pron.) IV i — i
]}iaht (noun) : maht (vb.) Ill i = ^
ciiio {^(\\.):ci)io (adj.)V i = ^
Ilbc (noun) : Ube (verb) III i
zi'lsn (noun) : zi'lsu (adj.) Ill i
goiima (verbal expression) : gouma (noun) III i
zi'iiiuil (noun) :zvuiini (verb) III i
Total = 23
Summary : I 2 ; II 4 ; HI 8 ; IV 6 ; V 3 = 23.
Here, as in the preceding class, Book III contains the great-
est number of examples and Book I the fewest. The rimes
present a more varied aspect than in Class I, not being limited
to monosyllables.
The two most frequent rimes under this group are in (pron.)
: In (adv.), occurring 8 times, and sin (pron.) : sJn (vb.), with
6 examples. There are, however, no rimes of sm (vb.) :sm"
(vb.), or of sin (pron.) : sin (pron.).
These forms are the more interesting because they indicate
a tendency on the part of Otfrid (a) to distinguish quantity,
and (b) to differentiate between identical rimes. In the nmes
of in : in the quantity is preserved at the expense of differentia-
tion of grammatical form;' whereas, in the in: In rimes the
opposite is true, as also in er : er, no case of er : er or er : er bemg
found. In sur.sln we find a different state of affairs, for
^ The only forms in question are, of course, the infin. and the i and 3
p. pi. pres. subj. The former appears in rime 33 times, while of the
latter, i. e. subj., only 9 rimes are found.
^'This fact should be taken into consideration along with the state-
ment under Class I, in explaining the frequency of in: in and mm
: ))un rimes.
54
SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
here we can have a dififerentiation of grammatical function
combined with an observance of quantity. Hence, there was
no need of combining sin (vb.) with sin (vb.) or sin (pron.)
with sin (pron.). Neither do we find any rimes of sin : sin
(noun), where there would be a difference of quantity. In
like manner we have mm (poss.) : mm (poss.) and mm (poss.)
: mm (pers.) in preference to a mm : min rime.
Class III. One rime word is identical in form with part of the
other.
A. The riming parts are from the same stem.
a. Simplex : compound, riche: himUriche (I i; II i) ;
richi: himilrichi (II 2; IV i ; V 3) ; richi: kuningrichi (IV
i) ; richi :zv or oUrichi (V i) ; riches : himilriches (III i) ;
thegankind: kind (I i) ; ditam \ wisduam (I i) ; ummahti:
mahti (III i) ; alalichi : llchi (IV i) ; guallichi: lichi (IV
2); heit: zagaheit (IV i) ; wiht : niawiht (I i ; II i ; V
i) ; wurti (vb.) : Hrwurti (vb.) (I i) ; wiirti : giwurti (III
i) ; wurtin:iirwurtin (III i) ; wirdit : iirwirdit (II i) ;
werde : Hrwerde (III i) ; ward : giward (II i) ; Idset:
hilazet (II i) ; giheizan: heizan (II i; III i) ; bihiazi:
hiazi (IV i) ; iirndmln:namm (II i) ; giUgg^'-ligge (III
i) ; Urbdrun: bdriin (IV i) ; giang : zigiang (II i) ; gab:
iirgab (V i) ; ungerno: gerno (I i) ; iamerimer (II i).
Summary: 16; II 11; III 7; IV8; V6 = 38.
B. Riming parts are not from the same stem.
a. Simplex : compound, antwurti {nonn) : wurti (vb.)
II I ; IV I ; giwurti (noun) : wurti (vb.) Ill 3 ; IV 2 ; V i ;
giwerde (wk. vb.) : werde (st. vb.) Ill i ; in alazudri: wdri
(vb.) I I ; II I ; III I ; V 2; w alawdr:wdr (adv.) I i ;
in giwdri: wdri (vb.) Ill i ; wizzi (noun) : Uruzvizzi (noun)
III 2 ; V I ; wizzi (noun) itwizzi IV 2 ; sculdheizo (noun)
: heizo (adj.) IV i ; III i ; machon (inf.) : gimachon
(noun) I I ; gib erg e (vb.) : berge (noun) II i ; Urburgi
(vb.) : burgi (noun) IV i ; houbit (noun) : manohoubit
(noun) II i; githankon (noun) : thankon (inf.) Ill i;
dleibo (noun) : leibo (noun) III i ; fazzon (inf.) : lioht-
fazzon (noun) IV i ; annuzzi (noun) : nuzzi (adj.) IV i ;
siimillche {3.dj.) : liche (vb.) V i; tharaln (adv.) : m
(pron.) IV I.
IDENTICAL RIME 55
Summary : I 3 ; IT 4 : HI 1 1 ; IV lo ; V 5 = 33-
In this class the riming parts, in addition to being from dif-
ferent stems, are usually words, or parts of words, that are
different parts of speech.
13. Simplex : secondary syllable or syllables, note : einote
(I I ; II 2) ; noti-.thionoti (I i ; V i) ; noti: ebonoti (I i
III i); ndtiwegonoti (II i) ; noti; gisamanoti (III 2)
ndti-.stcindti (III i); ndtin'.steinotin (III i) ; notin
zvarnofin (IV i), thunih ndtiredinot (I i; IV i; V i)
thiintJi ndt'.nrdamndt (III i; V i) ; gieinot (III i; IV
I); biseganot (V i) ; gisamndt (V i) ; ^^einot (IV 2);
plnot (IV i); in ndt:minndt (II i) ; ndt'.nrdamndt
(II i; V i); weinot (IV i) ; hentiirouhenti (I i) ;
iinhenti (I 2) ; gof.bredigot (V i) ; bimunigot (IV i) ;
lante-.heilante (V i) ; lanf.heilant (I 3; III 2; IV 2);
sun:hcrasun (I i; II 10; III 3; IV 4; V 2) ; tharasim
(I 2; II 2; III 2); heimortsun (II i) ; wisun (II 5);
mammiinti\miinti' (V 14); si:Pcrsi (I i) ; zvisi (I i;
III I : IV 2 ; V i) ; in gizvissi (III i ; IV 2 ; V 2) ; Urstant-
nissi (II I) ; so : giwisso (III 6 ; IV 2 ; V i) ; zvasso (I i) ;
^^zVo (V 2); mm : nrnamm (III i) ; fjnnu:nu (IV i) ;
dothcs-.thes (IV I); nirknaist: ist (V i) ; /e'^:a//^^ (V
i) ; erdringe: ge (II i).
Summary : I 16 ; II 25 ; III 23 ; IV 22 ; V 32 = 1 18.
In this, the largest class thus far, not and its inflected forms,
mostly in adverbial phrases, are very numerous, riming usually
with the third singular present indicative or with the past
participle of verbs of the second weak conjugation. Also the
noun sun with hcrasun and tharasun, so with gizvisso, si with
wisi, lant with heilant and various other forms are frequent.
Under this heading Grimm classes rimes which, according
to the definition of identical rime abpve given, would not belong
here. Some of his examples are:' rehtaz:thaz; iiiazantaz'.
thaz; sclnantazithaz; hcimortes: thes; mithontes'.thes; nahtes
itJics; muatcs'.thes; widarstantanne:thanne, and also blidaz:
thaz; 'furdir : thir; sindes : thes and Undo : tho. While Grimm's
' Cf . Refrain V 23.
56 SUFFIX RIME IN OFF RID
dictum ' Da volliger Gleichlaut der Vocale imd Consonanten
nicht notwendig ist,' and the orthography of Ms. F ' would
claim these examples as identical rimes they clearly do not, in
view of the well-defined shifting of initial and medial th in
Otfrid ^ come within the scope of our definition of Identical
Rime.
A similar observation applies to such rimes as niiiates: thes
which Grimm has also grouped under this head. Similarly,
for vocalic reasons, minno'.manno, etc. (which have above ^
been discussed from an entirely different point of view), and
for both vocalic and consonantal differences, terren'. thiirren,
etc., cannot be included in this category.^ Also duam and its
compounds in rime with duan (inf.) must also be rejected on
the same ground.
IV. The parts preceding the rime-syllables are dissimilar.
A. Dissimilar prefixes. Cf. Hrliazi'. giliam (IV i) ; biliazi
(II i) ; bisiiiches: gisifiches (III i) ; bisuichi: gisiiichi (III
i) ; gillchaii : niissilichan (III i) ; gisuikJiit : bisntkhit (V
i) ; bige-.gige (V i).
Summary : I o ; II i ; III 3 ; IV i ; V 2 = 7.
B. Adverbs in -Ilcho. Cf. iogilicho: gnallicho (I 2);
forahtlicho (Ii;IIi;Vi); driulicko (I i) ; giwaralicho
(I I ; II I ; III i) ; frazvaUcho (II 3) ; hcrlicho (I i) ; kraft-
llcho (I I ; II i; IV i; V i) ; baldUcho (I i) ; gilicho
(noun) (III i; V i) ; gomilicho (I i) ; blldllcho (II i)
III gilicho (II i) ; dm gilicho (II i) ; geistlicho (II 2; V i)
iingisewanlicho (II i) ; garalicho (II i) ; folllcho (II i
III i) ; wenagUcho (III i) ; jdmarlicho (III i) : theganlicho
(III i) ; suazlicho (IV i) ; liublicho (IV 2) ; gilicho (adv.) :
frawallcho (I i) ; kuninglicho (IV i) ; forahtlicho (V i) ;
baldlicho :fhcganlicho (IV i) ; herlicho : gnallicho {IV i).
Total: I 10; II 14; III 6; IV 7; V 5 = 42.
' Kl. Schr. IV, 162.
^ Cf. blldac: da;::; furdir: dir ; sindes: dcs; Undo: do, etc.; also muates:
des; rehtas: daz; nahtes: dcs, etc.
' Braune, Ahd. Grammatik, §§ 167, A. 4, 163, A. 2, 3.
* P. 31.
^ Other examples which Grimm includes under this class, and which
are excluded here are: minn : urminnu ; gifnah:nah; bibinota: notta.
IDENTICAL RIME 57
C. Adjectives in -////. Cf. simiUlh: gil'ih (III i) ; giliimf-
riJi:gUlIi {I i) ; iagillh : sanialih (V i) ; zvortogillh: sama-
llh (I i).
Total: I 2; III i; V I = 4.
In the case of the -IlcJio adverbs above several points are
deserving" of our attention :
I. They occur frequently in identical rime, in 42 couplets.
II. Of the above total, 37 are rimes of iogilicho and 3 of
gil'icho, neither adverb being found outside of rime; 38 of
these are with another -I'lcho adverb, the remaining two being
with the noun gil'icho. Furthermore, iogilicho is used almost
exclusively, i. e. in 34 instances, in the first half line. Of the
gil'icho rimes, two are in the first and one in the second half
of the line.
III. The -licho adverbs, exclusive of iogilicho, appear both
in and outside of rime. There is a total of 78, of which 44
are used in rime. Of this latter number 38 are rimes with the
adverb iogilicho, there being only 4 cases of -Itcho : -I'lcho.
The remaining two rimes, not, however, identical, are with the
adjective rlcho.
Keeping the above points in mind, we may first ask our-
selves why iogilicho is limited to rime position in Otfrid? This
adverb is not found elsewhere in O. H. G. rimed verse, and
adverbs in -llcho occur only a single time.^
In the literature of the transition period ' to ^Middle High
German we have a state of things similar to that found in
Otfrid : geliche occurs only once or twice outside of rime posi-
tion in all the literature examined, and its most frequent
rime word is with r'lche; it never rimes with itself, and only
rarely with other -I'lchc adverbs, differing, then, from Otfrid
in the latter point. Gel'ich is found more frequently (in about
^ EUianl'icho, Ludwigslied, 1. 42, not in rime.
' For the literature examined cf. MSD : Kleinere deutsche Gedichte
des XI. und XII. Jahrhs., pub. by Waag, Halle, 1891 ; Deutsche Gedichte
des 12. Jahrhs., pub. by C. Kraus, Halle. 1894; Deutsche Gedichte des
II. und 12. Jahrhs., pub. by Diemer, Wien, 1849. For the Genesis and
Exodus cf. Hoffmann, Fundgruben, II, 9 f. ; Genesis und Exodus nach
der Milstater Hs., pub. by Diemer, Wien, 1862 ; Kossmann, QuF., 57.
58 SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
one-half the total rimes) joined with forms in -ich, it, too,
being almost entirely limited to rime position.
The other adverbs in -liche, as in Otfrid, are found well rep-
resented both in and out of rime, and here again rlche is the
most common rime companion; rimes of -liche : -liche are not
infrequent, though not found as often as those in -Itch : -lich,
which cover one-fourth of the total instances of the latter in
rime/
In classical Middle High German, as e. g. in Hartmann and
Wolfram giltche occurs both in and outside of rime, so that
its use is not restricted in them to rime position, as in the litera-
ture examined above. It was already noted that iogilicho ap-
pears predominantly in Otfrid in the first half line (i. e. 34: 6) ;
and if we examine a few of these rimes it will become clear
that the appearance of iogilicho is to be explained as a mere
expedient for securing rime with the -licho adverb in the sec-
ond half line. Its meaning of '' ever, always " would easily
lend itself to this purpose, as the word could thus be added
without materially changing the sense of the line. Further-
more, it will not seem strange that we find so many rimes of
this colorless iogilicho with the -lie ho adverbs, which latter
occur only 4 times together, when we remember that outside
of rlcho there are no other rime endings in -icho that could be
used with these -licho adverbs. Otfrid was, therefore, forced
to some such makeshift and iogilicho was, from its meaning,
or rather lack of meaning, the one chosen.
A few examples are :
V 20. 20. Thara ferit al ingegini : engili menigi
quement [iogilicho] : tharzua forahtllcho.
II 13. 14. Er wihtes firsechit, : thes er mo zuagisprichit,
hugit [iogilicho] : zi theru stimmu frawallcho.
II 9. 14. Siu sint innana hoi, : heileges giscribes fol,
mit thiu sie unsih [iogilicho] : drenkent frawallcho.
I 23. 34. Fuar er mit ther bredigu : mit mihileru redinu
Joh rafsta sie [iogilicho] : filu kraftlTcho.
^ More frequent than the words in these two endings are those in
-lichen, occurring about twice as often outside rime as inside. Rimes
with -lichen are common, but riche, r'lchen, is again the rime preferred.
IDEXTIQAL RIME 59
II II. 10. So thin sclben kristcs kraftielna geislun thar
.girtaht
uzstiaz er se [iogillcho] : joh filu kraftlicho.
IV 7. 42. Sine engila ouh in alawar : sie blasent iro horn thar,
thaz ckient sie [iogiHcho] : fihi kraftHcho.
lY I. 18. Er zalt iz in ouh harto : offonoro worto
thia saHda [iogillcho] : filu suazHcho.
II 6. 13. Thiu natara [iogillcho] : spuan siu drugilicho.
Examples enough have been quoted to show that if, in the
above classes, iogil'icho should be omitted in each, no detri-
ment to the sense of the line would result. In many of these
rimes neither iogillcho nor the -licho adverb seems of any
great importance to the sense of the line ; but where some-
thing is added it is by the latter. In several cases it would
almost seem as if Otfrid had finished out his line so far as
the sense was concerned, and then in the space left in the first
half line had intercalated this colorless adverb to supply the
word to rime with the second half line.
Zwierzina ' advances the view that rimes of gcllch and ge-
llche with other forms in the suffix -Ilch were not felt as identi-
cal by Wolfram and Hartmann, and are not to be classed under
this category. He remarks : '' Der zusammenhang von
' gleich ' und der adjectiv-ableitung ' -lich ' ist heute im sprach-
bewusstsein nicht mehr vorhanden, und nur der grammatisch
gebildete weiss von ihm, aber audi dieser fiihlt ihn beim
gebrauche der sprache nicht mehr. So war es wol auch schon
im 13. Jh., waren ja auch schon damals gelich und -I'lcJi im
dialekt so vieler gegenden lautlich differenciert. Nun reimt
Wolfram sein gehch(e), um seinen tonsilbenanlaut ganz
ebenso unbekiimmert' wie in begreiflicherer weise um seine
etymologic, ungescheut auf -lich(e)/' He then shows that
although rich or rlche is the most frequent rime word by far
of the ending -Ich or Ichc, with which he could have rimed his
gelich (e), yet Wolfram rimes gellch(e) : -llch(e) very often,
but avoids riming forms of -llch(e) : -llch(c).
He resumes : " Aber nicht nur die verschiedene bedeutung
und function des -Ilch in gelich und des -Itch in der adjectiv
'ZfdA., 45, p. 291.
6o SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
composition kann der grund fiir Wolframs verhalten sein.
Denn verschiedene bedeutung und function haben ja auch
sin ' esse ' und sin ' suus ' und andre mehr und dennoch reimt
W. sie nicht. Wir werden also mit notwendigkeit annehmen
miissen dass W. glich, ungUch sprach."
He also brings forward similar proof for Hartmann and
reaches the same conclusion as in the case of Wolfram.
The fact that Otfrid, too, with his large number of examples
of the above rimes, has in nearly every case rimes of (io)gilicho
:-Ucho, and only rarely -licho'.-licho, shows a state of affairs
similar to M. H. G. usage, but I do not on this account believe
that he pronounced (io)gUcho ; for it seems probable that the
relation of geUch and the -llch suffix was more keenly felt in
this older period of the language than in M. H. G., and this
would operate against the pronunciation glicho. Besides, we
have two instances of -Ilcho : Iicho, so that this combination is
not absolutely avoided, and of the four examples of rimes of
adjectives in -lih, one is wortogiWi : gillh, which would be
identical no matter how pronounced, as would two other in-
stances of iogiUcho: gilicho (noun). Add to this the still
weightier evidence, that Otfrid makes a free use of identical
rime otherwise, and evidently views it differently from Wolf-
ram and Hartman, and it seems safe to assume that gilicho
was pronounced as it stands, with no intention of avoiding a
repetition of the same sound.
As stated above, the frequency of io gilicho in rime with
-Ilcho would seem to be due to the exigencies of rime, and the
rarity of rime words with this ending.
D. Others. Cf. umbiring'.woroltring (V i. 32); thara-
wert: geginzvert (V 7. 59); tharasun: drutsiin (II 9. 41);
antwiirti: giwiirti (I4;V i = 5); nrheize: hikeise (IV 23.
28) ; antwiirti : iingiwurti (III 18. 25). Also, riuwon: giwon
(III 10. 7); gidan: Jordan (III 22. 67) ; in ginns : biruwis
(II 7. 18).
Total : I 4 ; II 2 ; III 3 ; IV I ; V 3 = 13.
We are now ready to return to our original question : How
does Otfrid regard identical rime? If the examples from the
various categories be added the total amounts to 337, i. e. 4.7
per cent of the entire poem. From the fact that identical rime
IDEXTICAL RIME 6l
thus occupies so important a position, we may assume that
Otfrid felt no hesitation in its use. Its frequency finds, no
doubt, its explanation in the convenience of its use for ready
rime. It has already been shown how, after having once
rimed two words together, Otfrid repeatedly returned to them,
although in most cases other combinations were at hand ; and
the present case is similar, the same purpose being subserved.
Identical rime is divided amongst the various books as
follows :
I
II
III
IV
V
Total
Stem rime.
23
41
46
38
51
199
Pen. rime.
25
30
37
27
19
138
48 71 83 65 70 337
The difference between the books offers nothing especially
noteworthy, if one bears in mind their difference in length.
The firmer and firmer hold which identical rime takes may be
seen from the increase from I to II, both books being of the
same length.
The procedure is then just the opposite to that of the M. H.
G. poets, an increase and not a decrease. It might in fact
almost be said that identical rime gradually becomes a fixed
mannerism of our poet.^
^ The remaining O. H. G. rimed poems are too limited in extent to
afford a satisfactory basis of comparison with Otfrid. The data are as
follows: Georgslied, "woroltrlhhi-.himilrihhi, 1. 5; Ludwigslied her
(pron.) : her (pron.), 1- 52, and was: was, 1. 58; Psalm 138 mirimir,
1. 21. It will be seen that, so far as this scanty material allows a judg-
ment, the point of view is the same as that which we encountered in
Otfrid.
62
SUFFIX RIME IN OTFRID
Summary
In order to present a comprehensive view of the classifica-
tions of Otfrid's rimes, the following statement may be given :
I II III IV V Total
I. Stem rime :
1. Identical, 23 41 46 38 51 I99
2. Others, 238 342 446 424 355 1805
261
383
492
462
406
2004
II. Penultimate rime :
1. Identical, 25
2. Accurate, 332
3. Others, 448
30
347
395
37
432
493
27
418
509
19
463
463
138
1992
2308
80s
772
962
954
945
4438
III.
Pen.-Antepen.
rime:
I. Accurate,
3
2
4
3
12
2. Others,
37
5
17
17
16
92
40
7
21
17
19
104
IV.
Antepen. rime
•
•
I, Accurate,
5
6
9
12
6
38
2. Others,
121
76
92
126
96
511
126
82
lOI
138
102
549
V.
Rimeless verses : 8
I
9
Total,
7104
OF THE
''NIVER31TY
\
-'^L FORN\h
VITA
Thomas Howard Fowler was born in Howard County, Mary-
land, and received his early education in the High School and
Washington College, Chestertown, Md. He was graduated
from college in 1897 and in the following year took his Master's
Degree. He entered the Johns Hopkins University in October,
1898, and after one year of graduate work became instructor
in ]\Iodern Languages in the Horner Military School, Oxford,
North Carolina, where he taught during 1899-1901. He re-
turned to the Johns Hopkins University in 1901 and for four
years pursued graduate studies in German, Sanscrit, and Eng-
lish. To all his instructors, and especially to Prof. Henry
Wood and Associate Professor B. J. Vos, he desires to express
his sincere thanks for the inspiration and benefit gained by
following courses under their instruction.
14 DAY USE
RETURN TOT--"'.
, „ f^T,-^ ryX'^'^VS
U.C.BERKELEY LIBRARIES
<:D^3SlDfit.t,