| ablaut |
| Definition - A vowel-sound change within a word that shows changed grammatical function. |
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Example - (1) sing, sang, and sung (2) mouse and mice |
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Etymology - The word derives from the German Ablaut, off-sound; the latter was coined in 1568 by J.P. Zweigel (from ab, off + Laut, sound or tone). |
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Oxford English Dictionary - Its first citation is from 1849: "As if it took its meaning from ‘roar’; which in reality is the ablaut form of ‘rear’." (E. Thomson Select Monuments p. xxxi, ) |
