Ablaut Definition

äblout, äp-
noun
A vowel change, characteristic of Indo-European languages, that accompanies a change in grammatical function; for example, i, a, u in sing, sang, sung.
American Heritage
Patterned change of base vowels in forms of a word or in related words to show changes in tense, meaning, etc., as in the Indo-European languages (Ex.: drink, drank, drunk)
Webster's New World

(linguistics) The substitution of one root vowel for another, thus indicating a corresponding modification of use or meaning; vowel permutation; as, get, gat, and got; sing and song; hang and hung, distinct from the phonetic influence of a succeeding vowel. [Mid 19th century.]

Wiktionary
verb
(intransitive, linguistics, of a vowel-containing linguistic component) To undergo a change of vowel.
Wiktionary
(linguistics) To cause to change a vowel.
Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Ablaut

Noun

Singular:
ablaut
Plural:
ablauts

Origin of Ablaut

  • German ab off (from Middle High German ab, abe) (from Old High German aba apo- in Indo-European roots) Laut sound (from Middle High German lūt) (from Old High German hlūt kleu- in Indo-European roots)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From German Ablaut (“off-sound”), from ab (“off”), + Laut (“sound”).

    From Wiktionary

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to ablaut using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

AABABL

Words Ending With

TUTAUT

Unscrambles

ablaut

Words Starting With A and Ending With T

Starts With A & Ends With TStarts With AB & Ends With TStarts With A & Ends With UT

Word Length

6 Letter Words6 Letter Words Starting With A6 Letter Words Ending With T