Umlaut: meaning, definitions and examples
๐ค
umlaut
[ หumlaสt ]
linguistic mark
An umlaut is a diacritical mark that is placed over a vowel to indicate a change in the way the vowel is pronounced. In the German language, it typically signifies a change in vowel quality, such as turning 'a' into 'รค', 'o' into 'รถ', or 'u' into 'รผ'. While commonly associated with German, umlauts can also appear in other languages and are an important aspect of phonetics and orthography. They help distinguish meanings of words that would otherwise be spelled similarly.
Synonyms
diacritic, diacritical mark, vowel modification
Examples of usage
- The 'รค' in 'Fรคcher' is an umlaut.
- Umlauts modify the sound of vowels.
- In German, umlauts change pronunciation.
- Exceptional usage of umlauts can be found in loanwords.
Translations
Translations of the word "umlaut" in other languages:
๐ต๐น umlaut
๐ฎ๐ณ เคเคฎเฅเคฒเคพเคเค
๐ฉ๐ช Umlaut
๐ฎ๐ฉ umlaut
๐บ๐ฆ ัะผะปััั
๐ต๐ฑ umlaut
๐ฏ๐ต ใฆใ ใฉใฆใ
๐ซ๐ท trรฉma
๐ช๐ธ diรฉresis
๐น๐ท umlaut
๐ฐ๐ท ์๋ผ์ฐํธ
๐ธ๐ฆ ุฃูู ูุงูุช
๐จ๐ฟ umlaut
๐ธ๐ฐ umlaut
๐จ๐ณ ๅ้ณ็ฌฆๅท
๐ธ๐ฎ umlaut
๐ฎ๐ธ umlaut
๐ฐ๐ฟ ัะผะปะฐัั
๐ฌ๐ช แฃแแแแฃแขแ
๐ฆ๐ฟ umlaut
๐ฒ๐ฝ diรฉresis
Word origin
The word 'umlaut' is borrowed from German, where it literally means 'around sound'. The term was first used in the 19th century, although the concept behind the modification of vowel sounds can be traced back to the origins of the Germanic languages. In Old High German, certain vowels changed their pronunciation based on the influences of surrounding soundsโa phenomenon known as 'vowel mutation'. The suffix 'laut' in German means 'sound', which in conjunction with 'um-' emphasizes the alteration of vowel sounds. This feature of German phonetics became particularly prominent in the development of the language and influenced other Germanic languages as well.
Word Frequency Rank
Ranking #35,684, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.
- ...
- 35681 interstice
- 35682 inaptly
- 35683 savaged
- 35684 umlaut
- 35685 tidily
- 35686 corporately
- 35687 skulked
- ...