Vennemann's bifurcation theory of the Germanic and German consonant shifts

Abstract

Vennemann presents a plausible alternative to Grimm's succession of Germanic and High German sound shifts. As part of his argumentation, Vennemann gives a systematic revision of the Proto-Germanic obstruent inventory which he reconstructs internally from Germanic data. He also looks beyond the Germanic data to posit a Paleo-Germanic obstruent system. While revising Grimm's traditional theory, Vennemann also reformulates Verner's Shift and how it would apply to his alternative glottalic approach.