GermanLesson 2 of 3 in the course German phonology and orthography

Umlaut as Vowel-to-Vowel Assimilation

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Umlaut is a type of sound change in which a vowel becomes more like a vowel or semivowel that follows it. It is especially prominent in the histories of Germanic languages, but related processes are found in other language families as well.

Assimilation is a sound change in which one speech sound becomes more similar to a nearby sound. In umlaut, the affected sound is a vowel, and the influencing sound is usually a vowel or semivowel that comes after it.

All flashcards

What is umlaut?
Umlaut is a sound change in which a vowel becomes more like a following vowel or semivowel.
What is assimilation?
Assimilation is a process in which one speech sound becomes more similar to a nearby sound. Umlaut is a vowel-based form of assimilation.
How does *Gast–Gäste* illustrate umlaut?
The historical plural ending *-i* in Old High German *gesti* caused the stem vowel to become fronted. The vowel alternation survives in modern German *Gast–Gäste*.
What are the four commonly described types of umlaut?
Vowel raising, vowel fronting, vowel lowering, and vowel rounding. They are named for the kind of change affecting the earlier vowel.
What are *affection* and *metaphony*?
They are terms for related historical vowel processes: *affection* is used especially for processes in Celtic-language contexts, and *metaphony* is used in the study of Romance languages.

Quiz questions

  1. What is umlaut in linguistics?Answer: A sound change in which a vowel becomes more like a following vowel or semivowel.
  2. How is umlaut related to assimilation?Answer: It is vowel assimilation caused by the influence of a following sound.
  3. What triggered the stem-vowel change in the Old High German plural *gesti*?Answer: The front vowel /i/ in the plural ending influenced the stem vowel.
  4. Which type of umlaut involves an earlier vowel moving toward the front of the mouth?Answer: Vowel fronting.
  5. How are *affection* and *metaphony* used to describe related processes?Answer: Affection labels related Celtic processes; metaphony labels historical vowel raising in Romance.

Based on the Wikipedia article Umlaut (linguistics), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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