Back to Matrix [ai] → [au] Edit this Data

[au]→[ai]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 3/5

Germanic Umlaut Vowel Shift Diphthong Morphophonology Fronting Unrounding

Diphthong au to Diphthong ai

The phonetic transformation from the diphthong 'au' to 'ai' involves a shift in the articulation of the second vowel sound within the diphthong. Historically, this change often sees the back, rounded 'u' sound becoming a front, unrounded 'i' sound, while the initial 'a' sound remains relatively stable. This results in a diphthong that moves from a back-rounded articulation to a front-unrounded one.

Phonetic Effects

Fronting, Unrounding

Language Examples

English Germanic

mouse /maʊs/→mice /maɪs/— This is a classic example of i-umlaut in English, where the plural form historically triggered a fronting of the vowel in the singular form.

louse /laʊs/→lice /laɪs/— Another instance of i-umlaut in English irregular plurals.

Related Transformations

Reverse

More Vowel Shift Shifts

[ã] → [õ] — Raising [a] → [ã] — Assimilatory Nasalization [a] → [∅] — Elision [a] → [ʔ] — Glottalization [a] → [ə] — Vowel Reduction

Sources & References

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