22 Phonology [§§ 18-19 (Goth, stains), stone, heilen (OHG. hei?an, Goth, hāitan), to call; snīden, to cut, pret. sneit (OHG. sneid, Goth, snaij)). This accounts for the difference between the ei and ē in the preterite singular of strong verbs belonging to the first ablaut-series (§§ 12, 76). § 18. Primitive Germanic au became ō in OHG. before the consonants d, t, ?, s, n, r, 1, and Germanic h (cp. 23, i). Before other consonants and finally au became ou in the ninth century. Hence the difference between ō and ou in the preterite singular of strong verbs belonging to the second ablaut-series (§§ 12, 78), as :— Infinitive bieten, to offer, pret. sing, bot „ sieden, to seethe, ,, „ sot ,, kiesen, to choose, ,, ,, kos „ die?en, to roar, ,, „ do? vliehen, to flee, „ „ vlōch (OHG. floh); but „ biegen, to bend, „ „ bouc „ klieben, to cleave „ „ kloup.
		CHAPTER II THE CONSONANTS i. PRONUNCIATION OF THE CONSONANTS. § 19. The MHG. consonant-system was represented by the following letters : b, c, ch, d, f, g, h, j, k, 1, m, n, p, q, r, s, sen, t, v, w, (x), z, ?. The letters k, 1, m, n, p, t, w, (x) had nearly the same sound-values as in English. The remaining letters require special attention. When the pronunciation of consonants merely differs in the intensity or force with which they are produced,