). ▁Lim burg ish ▁preserved ▁the ▁di ph th ong ▁wherever ▁it ▁was ▁preserved ▁in ▁High ▁German . ▁ ▁The ▁closing ▁di ph th ong ▁ ▁has ▁two ▁different ▁orig ins . ▁In ▁the ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁area , ▁it ▁developed ▁through ▁l - v ocal ization ▁from ▁older ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁dent al ▁con son ant . ▁In ▁the ▁eastern ▁area , ▁Lim burg ▁in ▁particular , ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁rem nant ▁of ▁the ▁older ▁di ph th ong ▁as ▁in ▁High ▁German , ▁which ▁had ▁developed ▁into ▁ ▁elsewhere . ▁L - v ocal ization ▁occurred ▁only ▁in ▁the ▁modern ▁period ▁in ▁Lim burg ish , ▁and ▁the ▁distinction ▁between ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁was ▁preserved , ▁being ▁reflected ▁as ▁ ów ▁and ▁aa ▁respectively . ▁ ▁Ch anges ▁during ▁the ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁period ▁ ▁Ph on ological ▁changes ▁that ▁occurred ▁during ▁Middle ▁Dutch : ▁▁▁ ▁> ▁, ▁ ▁> ▁. ▁This ▁elimin ated ▁the ▁sound ▁ ▁from ▁the ▁language ▁altogether . ▁▁ ▁and ▁ ▁origin ating ▁from ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁through ▁final ▁de vo icing ▁were ▁not ▁affected . ▁This ▁therefore ▁resulted ▁in ▁altern ations ▁such ▁as ▁singular ▁con inc ▁ ▁versus ▁pl ural ▁con ing he ▁, ▁singular ▁lamp ▁ ▁versus ▁pl ural ▁l amm ere ▁. ▁▁ ▁> ▁ ▁( sp elled ▁ ▁or ▁later ▁). ▁It ▁is ▁unclear ▁when ▁this ▁change ▁happened , ▁as ▁the ▁sp elling ▁does ▁not ▁seem ▁to ▁differenti ate ▁the ▁two ▁sounds ▁( that ▁is , ▁ ▁and