Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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B

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Grammar
B, THE sound of b is produced by the lips; hence it is called a labial consonant, and has the same sound in Anglo-Saxon as in English. In all languages, and especially in the dialects of cognate languages, the letters employing the same organs of utterance are continually interchanged. In Anglo-Saxon, therefore, we find that b interchanges with the other labials, f and
p
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  • Ic hæbbe I have, he hæfþ he hath. When words are transferred into modern English, b is sometimes represented by f or v :-- Beber or befor a beaver; Ober, ofer, over.
In comparing the Anglo-Saxon aspirated labial f with the corresponding letter in Old Saxon, the sister dialect, we find that the Old Saxons used a softer aspirated labial ƀ = bh. This softer aspirated ƀ generally occurs as a medial letter between two vowels; as, —
O. Sax.   A. Sax.   Eng. graƀan = grafan = engrave klioƀan = cleófan = cleave geƀan = gifan = give
The Runic letter ᛒ not only stands for the letter B, b, but also for the name of the letter in Anglo-Saxon beorc
the birch-tree.
Similar entries
v. beorc.
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