The Universal Atlas of Phonetic Evolution
Back to Matrix [o] → [e] Edit this Data

[e]→[o]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 5/5

Close-mid front unrounded vowel to Close-mid back rounded vowel

The transformation of the close-mid front unrounded vowel /e/ to the close-mid back rounded vowel /o/ is a common and well-attested phonetic shift across various language families. This change involves both a backing of the tongue position from front to back and the introduction of lip rounding, often triggered by assimilatory processes or as part of broader vowel gradation systems.

Phonetic Effects

Backing, Rounding

Language Examples

*leg-→*log-— Ablaut alternation, as seen in Greek légō 'read' (e-grade) and lógos 'word' (o-grade).
*h₃ewi-→*owi-— Laryngeal coloring by *h₃, leading to Latin ovis 'sheep'.
*deh₃-→*dō-— Laryngeal coloring by *h₃, leading to Greek dídōmi 'give'.
/e/→[o]— Occurred in stressed syllables when followed by a hard consonant, often reflected in words spelled with 'ë', e.g., жëны (žëny) 'wives' vs. жена' (žena') 'wife'.
*newos→nouus— Shift of /e/ to /o/ before /w/.
*elaiwom→oleum— Shift of /e/ to /o/ before /w/.
*helus→holus— Shift of /e/ to /o/ before /l/ followed by a vowel, particularly influenced by a velarized /l/.
/e/→/o/— Retraction in Anglian dialects during the 8th century, occurring before /r/ or /l/ followed by a consonant.
premier→promier— Tendency for /e/ to change to /o/ before a labial, especially /m/.

Related Transformations

More Vowel Shift Shifts

Sources & References

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