[ei]→[oi]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 3/5
Diphthong ei to Diphthong oi
The transformation from the diphthong /ei/ to /oi/ represents a notable sound change in the history of certain languages, particularly evident in the development of Old French. This shift involves a modification of the initial vowel sound within the diphthong, altering its place and manner of articulation.
Phonetic Effects
Backing, Rounding
Language Examples
/meis/→/mois/— From Latin 'me(n)sem' (month), where Old French /eː/ diphthongized to /ei/ before shifting to /oi/ in most dialects.
/peitu/→/poitu/— From Latin 'Pictavum', referring to the region of Poitou.
Related Transformations
More Vowel Shift Shifts
Sources & References
- Ringe, D. (2006). A Linguistic History of English: From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic. Oxford University Press.
- Pope, M. K. (1952). From Latin to Modern French with Especial Consideration of Anglo-Norman Phonology and Morphology. Manchester University Press.
- Kibler, W. W. (1984). An Introduction to Old French. Modern Language Association of America.
- Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250. (n.d.). Project Gutenberg.
- Restoring a Vernacular Jewish Voice: The Old French Elegy of Troyes. (n.d.). OSRJL Tutorials.
- Historical Linguistics: Toward a Twenty-First Century Reintegration. (n.d.). DOKUMEN.PUB.
- How did ⟨e⟩ turned into ⟨oi⟩ in french? : r/asklinguistics. (2025, January 27). Reddit.
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