Zur Eindeutschung slawischer Ortsnamen in Bayern

Abstract

The way in which Slavic names in Bavaria have been transmitted into Old High German has been well researched already, but open questions remain. It is possible to date the loan processes when the names contain sounds with diagnostic value or show datable sound changes, such as the metathesis of liquids or the rounding of Proto-Slavic *a to Common Slavic *o or when Slavic *b is substituted by OHG *v > f. The integration of Slavic names into OHG started before 800 and came to an end around 1100. The way in which Slavic *ě was loaned also might play a role in dating these processes, but the situation remains unclear so far: Mostly it appears as OHG e, ē, but in a few cases there is a resulting sound containing /i/. This sound may have come into existence either by an early integration of Slavic *ě as OHG *ē2 or when a younger Sorbian raising of *ě to some i-diphthong had already taken place.