umlaut

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Jump to: navigation, search
See also Umlaut

Contents

[edit] English

Wikipedia Wikipedia

[edit] Etymology

From German Umlaut, from um (around) + Laut (sound), from Old High German hlut.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

Singular
umlaut

Plural
umlauts or umlaute

umlaut (plural umlauts or umlaute) (Can we verify(+) this sense?)

  1. (linguistics) An assimilatory process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vocoid that is separated by one or more consonants.
  2. (linguistics) The umlaut process (as above) that occurred historically in Germanic languages whereby back vowels became front vowels when followed by syllable containing a front vocoid (e.g. Germanic lūsi > Old English līs(i) > Modern English lice).
  3. (linguistics) A vowel so assimilated.
  4. (orthography) The diacritical mark ( ¨ ) placed over a vowel to indicate such assimilation.

[edit] Usage notes

  • Although this symbol has the same form as the diaeresis/dieresis, it has as a different function and so in standard and technical usage these two terms are not interchangeable.
  • When spelling a German word out loud, one can say “(vowel) umlaut” or “umlauted vowel”. e.g. “oh umlaut” or “umlauted oh” mean “an ‘o’ with an umlaut over it” (ö).

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to umlaut

Third person singular
umlauts

Simple past
umlauted

Past participle
umlauted

Present participle
umlauting

to umlaut (third-person singular simple present umlauts, present participle umlauting, simple past and past participle umlauted)

  1. To place an umlaut over a vowel.

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] See also

Personal tools