Pyt Kramer, IN FONOLOGYSKE RAMP [A phonematic catastrophy].

Summary - Old Frisian a: (corresponding to Germanic au and partly to ai) has developed to [o:] in Saterfrisian, leading to the narrow opposition [o:] - [ou]. This development will have been caused by a new [a:] due to stretching of short a in open syllables, as reflected in today's opposition [o:] - [a:]. On this basis it is supposed that the Old Frisian long vowel phonemic system is exploded in the 14th century, due to a sudden appearance of stretched vowels, chiefly in loan-words. The stretching might even have been imposed on the language by repeated borrowing. This hypothesis would explain the strong dialectic variation in modern Frisian. Moreover it would shed light on the problem of origin and change of languages in general. (Contribution to the 12th Frysk Filologekongres of the Fryske Akademy, 1991). Full text (in Frisian).

Pyt Kramer, DOPPELFORMEN BEI EINSILBIGEN VERBEN
[Double patterns in monosyllabic verbs]

Summary - The paradigms of the monosyllabic verbs in West Frisian and in Mooringer North Frisian show double patterns, which are lacking in Old Frisian and Saterfrisian. This will concern analogic adaption to the disyllabic verbs, which in West Frisian also lead to appending of -n in the infinitiv. Perhaps the action towards analogy can be seen as a reaction upon a strong dialectal splintering obtruded by phonemic causes. In that way West Frisian will have reconstructed itself to a new language unity. That this paper could be worked out based on the unpronounced working hypothesis of a homogeneous proto-Frisian, will please the celebrator (see Århammar 1995:77). [In: A Frisian and Germanic Miscellany, published in honour of Nils Århammar on his sixty-fifth birthday, 7 August 1996, NOWELE VOL.28/29, p. 213-222].

Another Frisian library in the USA. The Palatine library at the Capital University in Columbus Ohio has inherited the library of the Frisian scholar Geart B. Droege († 27th May 1997). This library, also containing the library of the late professor Brouwer, is important in the field of Frisian language and culture. (Nordfriesland, August 1999).
WARNING: Until further notice, only a small part of the Droege collection will be accessible for research, awaiting the completion of an expansion project.

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