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A vowel whose quality or length is changed to indicate linguistic distinctions (such as sing sang sung song)
Answer for the clue "A vowel whose quality or length is changed to indicate linguistic distinctions (such as sing sang sung song) ", 6 letters:
ablaut
Alternative clues for the word ablaut
Word definitions for ablaut in dictionaries
WordNet
Word definitions in WordNet
n. a vowel whose quality or length is changed to indicate linguistic distinctions (such as sing sang sung song)
Wiktionary
Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. (context linguistics English) The substitution of one root vowel for another, thus indicating a corresponding modification of use or meaning; vowel permutation; as, (term get English), (term gat English), and (term got English); (term sing English) and ...
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"systematic vowel alteration in the root of a word to indicate shades of meaning or tense," a characteristic of Indo-European languages, 1849, from German Ablaut , literally "off-sound," coined by J.P. Zweigel in 1568 from ab "off" + Laut "sound, tone," ...
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Ablaut \Ab"laut\, n. [Ger., off-sound; ab off + laut sound.] (Philol.) The substitution of one root vowel for another, thus indicating a corresponding modification of use or meaning; vowel permutation; as, get, gat, got; sing, song; hang, hung. --Earle.