umlaut

Meaning

Noun

1. An assimilatory process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vocoid that is separated by one or more consonants.
2. 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 lūsiz > Old English lȳs(i) > Modern English lice).
3. A vowel so assimilated.
4. The diacritical mark ( ¨ ) placed over a vowel when it indicates a (rounded) front vowel
5. (informal) Synonym of diaeresis.

Verb

1. (transitive) To place an umlaut over (a vowel).
2. (transitive) To modify (a word) so that an umlaut is required in it.

Synonyms

diaeresis

dieresis

trema

apophony

vowel mutation

mutation

diacritical mark

Translations

Umlaut

tréma

trema

umlaut

diéresis

umlaut

métaphonie

inflexion

dièresi

Trema

metafonia

umlaut

metafonía

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈʊm.laʊt/

Etymology

Borrowed from German Umlaut in the 19ᵗʰ century, from um- or um (“around, re-, trans-”) + Laut (“sound”), from Old High German hlūt. More at loud.