Editing North Germanic languages (section)

===North Germanic features===
Some innovations are not found in West and East Germanic, such as:
* Sharpening of geminate {{IPA|/jj/}} and {{IPA|/ww/}} according to [[Holtzmann's law]]
** Occurred also in East Germanic, but with a different outcome.
** Proto-Germanic *''twajjǫ̂'' ("of two") > Old Norse {{lang|non|tveggja}}, Gothic {{lang|got|twaddjē}}, but > Old High German {{lang|goh|zweiio}}
**Proto-Germanic ''*triwwiz'' ("faithful") > Old Norse {{lang|non|tryggr}}, Gothic {{lang|got|triggws}}, but > Old High German {{lang|goh|triuwi}}, German {{lang|de|treu}}, Old English {{lang|ang|trīewe}}, English ''true''.
* Word-final devoicing of [[stop consonant]]s.
** Proto-Germanic *''band'' ("I/(s)he bound") > *''bant'' > Old West Norse {{lang|non|batt}}, Old East Norse {{lang|non|bant}}, but Old English {{lang|ang|band}}
* Loss of medial {{IPA|/h/}} with compensatory lengthening of the preceding vowel and the following consonant, if present.
** Proto-Germanic *''nahtų'' ("night", accusative) > *''nāttu'' > (by u-umlaut) *''nǭttu'' > Old Norse {{lang|non|nótt}}
* {{IPA|/ɑi̯/}} > {{IPA|/ɑː/}} before {{IPA|/r/}} (but not {{IPA|/z/}})
** Proto-Germanic *''sairaz'' ("sore") > *''sāraz'' > *''sārz'' > Old Norse {{lang|non|sárr}}, but > *''seira'' > Old High German {{lang|goh|sēr}}.
** With original {{IPA|/z/}} Proto-Germanic *''gaizaz'' > *''geizz'' > Old Norse {{lang|non|geirr}}.
* General loss of word-final {{IPA|/n/}}, following the loss of word-final short vowels (which are still present in the earliest runic inscriptions).
** Proto-Germanic *''bindaną'' > *''bindan'' > Old Norse {{lang|non|binda}}, but > Old English {{lang|ang|bindan}}.
** This also affected stressed syllables: Proto-Germanic *''in'' > Old Norse {{lang|non|í}}
* [[Vowel breaking]] of {{IPA|/e/}} to {{IPA|/jɑ/}} except after {{lang|gmq|w}}, {{lang|gmq|r}} or {{lang|gmq|l}} (see "gift" above).
** The diphthong {{IPA|/eu/}} was also affected (also {{lang|gmq|l}}), shifting to {{IPA|/jɒu/}} at an early stage. This diphthong is preserved in [[Old Gutnish]] and survives in modern [[Gutnish]]. In other Norse dialects, the {{IPA|/j/}}-onset and length remained, but the diphthong simplified resulting in variously {{IPA|/juː/}} or {{IPA|/joː/}}.
** This affected only stressed syllables. The word *''ek'' ("I"), which could occur both stressed and unstressed, appears varyingly as {{lang|non|ek}} (unstressed, with no breaking) and {{lang|non|jak}} (stressed, with breaking) throughout Old Norse.
* Loss of initial {{IPA|/j/}} (see "year" above), and also of {{IPA|/w/}} before a round vowel.
** Proto-Germanic *''wulfaz'' > North Germanic {{lang|gmq|ulfz}} > Old Norse {{Wikt-lang|non|ulfr}}
* The development of [[Old Norse#U-umlaut|u-umlaut]], which rounded stressed vowels when {{IPA|/u/}} or {{IPA|/w/}} followed in the next syllable. This followed vowel breaking, with ''ja'' {{IPA|/jɑ/}} being u-umlauted to ''jǫ'' {{IPA|/jɒ/}}.