▁ ▁could ▁both ▁represent ▁either ▁sound ). ▁▁ ▁> ▁ ▁before ▁ ▁plus ▁another ▁con son ant , ▁mer ging ▁with ▁original ▁Old ▁Dutch ▁ ▁( < ▁Pro to - G erman ic ▁). ▁E . g . ▁ende ▁> ▁ein de , ▁pens en ▁> ▁pe insen ▁( from ▁Old ▁French ▁pens er ). ▁This ▁change ▁is ▁found ▁sp or ad ically ▁in ▁Old ▁Dutch ▁already , ▁but ▁becomes ▁more ▁frequent ▁in ▁some ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁areas . ▁ ▁Ep enth esis ▁of ▁ ▁in ▁various ▁clusters ▁of ▁son or ants . ▁E . g . ▁don re ▁> ▁don der , ▁sol re ▁> ▁sol der , ▁b un re ▁> ▁b under . ▁In ▁modern ▁Dutch , ▁this ▁change ▁has ▁become ▁gram mat ical ised ▁for ▁the ▁- er ▁( com par ative , ▁agent ▁n oun ) ▁suffix ▁when ▁attached ▁to ▁a ▁word ▁ending ▁in ▁- r . ▁ ▁Short ening ▁of ▁gem inate ▁con son ants , ▁e . g . ▁for ▁b idden ▁ ▁> ▁, ▁which ▁re int rodu ces ▁str essed ▁light ▁sy ll ables ▁in ▁pol ys yll ab ic ▁words . ▁ ▁Early ▁di ph th ong isation ▁of ▁long ▁high ▁v ow els : ▁ ▁> ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁> ▁ ▁except ▁before ▁, ▁probably ▁beginning ▁around ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁di ph th ong al ▁quality ▁of ▁these ▁v ow els ▁became ▁stronger ▁over ▁time , ▁and ▁eventually ▁the ▁former ▁merged ▁with ▁ ▁e i . ▁But