umlaut

Meanings

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. Synonym of diaeresis.

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

Etymology

Etymology tree German um- Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *ḱlutós Proto-Germanic *hlūdaz Proto-West Germanic *hlūd Old High German lūt Middle High German lūt German Laut German Umlautbor. English umlaut 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.