Dictionary.com

ablaut

[ ahb-lout, ab-; German ahp-lout ]
/ ˈɑb laʊt, ˈæb-; German ˈɑp laʊt /
Save This Word!

noun Grammar.
(in Indo-European languages) regular alternation in the internal phonological structure of a word element, especially alternation of a vowel, that is coordinated with a change in grammatical function or combination, as in English sing, sang, sung, song; apophony.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of ablaut

1840–50; <German, equivalent to ab- off + Laut sound
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ablaut in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ablaut

ablaut
/ (ˈæblaʊt, German ˈaplaut) /

noun
linguistics vowel gradation, esp in Indo-European languagesSee gradation (def. 5)

Word Origin for ablaut

German, coined 1819 by Jakob Grimm from ab off + Laut sound
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK