Ablaut

Ablaut refers to the system of root vowel alternations in Proto-Indo-European and its daughter languages.

There existed the following variants or "grades" of ablaut:

• full grade, or "e" grade,
• full grade with ablaut, or "o" grade
• lengthened grade
• lengthened grade with ablaut
• zero grade.

The results of this alternation can be seen in the following related words of modern English (listed in the same order as the above grades): sit, sat, seat, soot, nest; and also in the English strong verb system.

Synonyms

• metaphony, gradation

Origin

The term ablaut was borrowed from German Ablaut, coinded by Jacob Grimm in the early part of the 19th century.

Other languages

French métaphonie German Ablaut (de)