15. *r* was always a strong point trill, as in Scotch.
16. *s* was always sharp.
17. *v* (which was sometimes written _u_ and _w_) had the sound
of E. _w_: _vel_ (well), _h?«ggva_ (hew).
18. *z* had the sound of _ts_: _b?™ztr_ (best).
19. *??* and *?°* were used promiscuously in the older MS., the
very oldest using _??_ almost exclusively. In Modern Icelandic
_??_ is written initially to express the sound of E. hard _th_,
_?°_ medially and finally to express that of soft _th_; as there
can be no doubt that this usage corresponds with the old
pronunciation, it is retained in this book: _??ing_ (parliament),
_fa?°ir_ (father), _vi?°_ (against). In such combinations as _p?°_
the _?°_ must of course be pronounced _??_.
Stress
20. The stress (accent) is always on the first syllable.
PHONOLOGY
Vowels
21. The vowels are related to one another in different ways, the
most important of which are _mutation_ (umlaut), _fracture_
(brechung), and _gradation_ (ablaut).
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