5. Linguistic features of Germanic languages

All the germanic languages of the past and present have common linguistic features. Some of these features are shared by other groups in the indo-european family, others are specifically Germanic. The Germanic group acquires its specific distinctive features after the separation of the ancient Germanic tribes from other indo-european tribes and prior to the further expansion and disintegration which is during the periods of the protogermanic parent language. Other common features developed later in the course of the individual histories of separate Germanic languages as a result of similar tendencies arising from protogermanic causes (в этом слове не уверены)

On the other hand many Germanic features have been disguised, transformed and even lost in later history.

Languages can be classified according to different principles. Genetically English belongs to teutonic group of languages which is one of the 12 groups of the indo-european linguistic family. The Germanic languages in the modern world are followed: English, German, Netherlandish, Africaans, Danish, Sweddish, Norvegian, Icelandic, Frezian, Faroese.

It’s difficult to estimate the number of people, speaking Germanic languages, especially in account of English which in many countries is one of the 2 languages in a bilingual community. The total number of people speaking Germanic languages approaches for 140 million. All the Germanic languages are related through their common origin and joint development at the early stages of history.

22. Consonants me

English consonants were on the whole far more stable than vowels. A large number of consonants have probably remained unchanged through all historical periods. Thus we can assume that the sonorants [m, n, l], plosives [p, b, t, d] and also [k, g] in most positions have not been subjected to any noticeable changes. The most important developments in the history of English consonants were the growth of new sets of sounds, - affricates and sibilants.

Growth of sibilants and affricates

In OE there were no affricates and no sibilants, except [s, z]. the new type of consonants developed from OE palatal plosives [k, g], which had split from the corresponding velar plosives [k] and [g], and also from the consonant cluster [sk]. The three new phonemes which arose from these sources were [t?], [dз] and [?]. In Early ME they began to be indicated by special letters and digraphs, which came into use mainly under the influence of the French scribal tradition ch, tch, g, dg, sh, ssh, sch. As a result of these changes and also as a result of the vocalization of the consonant system in Late ME was in some respects different from the OE system.

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6. Basic features of protogermanic language

The earliest period of Germanic history is protogermanic. The history of the Germanic group begins with the appearance of the protogermanic language. Protogermanic is the linguistic ancestor of the parent language of the Germanic group. It’s supposed to have split from related indo-european languages, sometimes between the 15th and 10th centuries before Christ.

As the indo-europeans extended over a larger territory, the ancient germans, or teutons, moved further North than other tribes and settled on the Southern Coast of the Baltic Sea in the region of the Alb. This place is regarded as the most probable original home of the teutons. Protogermanic is an entirely prehistorical language. It was never recorded in written form.

In the 19th century it was reconstructed by methods of comparative linguistics from written evidences in descent languages. It is believed that at the earliest stage of history protogermanic was fundamentally one language but dialectally covered.

The external history of the ancient teutons around the beginning of our era is known from classical writings. The first mention of Germanic tribes was made by Pitheas, a greak historian and geographer of the 4th century before Christ.