I-mutation
Encyclopedia
I-mutation is an important type of sound change
, more precisely a category of regressive metaphony
, in which a back vowel
is fronted, and/or a front vowel
is raised
, if the following syllable contains /i/, /ī/ or /j/ (voiced palatal approximant the sound of English in ‘yes’).
I-mutation has occurred in many languages (for example, it explains the alternations between Portuguese
fiz < */fetsi/ "I did" vs. fez < */fetse/ "he did") and nowadays it is still productive in some Romance languages (for instance Central Venetian
where final -i is still visible te parchigi < */parchégi/ "you park your car" vs. parchégio "I park"). However, the term is usually taken (especially when referred to using the name "i-umlaut") to processes in the early Germanic languages
. I-mutation in the Romance languages is more commonly called "metaphony" (from Ancient Greek, meaning "process of changing sounds"); Umlaut is its rendering in German.
I-mutation is usually used to refer to a particular set of changes in the old Germanic languages. I-mutation is particularly important because it was productive
in the prehistory of the Germanic languages and led to many alternations that are visible in the morphology
of these languages, due to the prevalence of inflectional suffixes containing an /i/ or /j/.
This process took place separately in the various Germanic languages starting around 450 or 500 AD in the North Sea area, and affected all of the early languages except for Gothic
. It seems to have taken effect earliest, and was most complete in its implementation, in Old English
and Old Norse
. It took place later in Old High German, and by 900 AD its effects were visible only on /a/. (However, there are occasional spellings with y, ui, iu and oi, suggesting that /o/ and /u/ were already affected allophonically.)
For more information on the process in the Germanic languages, see Germanic umlaut
.
Sound change
Sound change includes any processes of language change that affect pronunciation or sound system structures...
, more precisely a category of regressive metaphony
Metaphony
In historical linguistics, metaphony is a general term for a class of sound change in which one vowel in a word is influenced by another in a process of assimilation....
, in which a back vowel
Back vowel
A back vowel is a type of vowel sound used in spoken languages. The defining characteristic of a back vowel is that the tongue is positioned as far back as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction that would be classified as a consonant. Back vowels are sometimes also called dark...
is fronted, and/or a front vowel
Front vowel
A front vowel is a type of vowel sound used in some spoken languages. The defining characteristic of a front vowel is that the tongue is positioned as far in front as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction that would be classified as a consonant. Front vowels are sometimes also...
is raised
Relative articulation
In descriptions of phonetics and phonology, the manner and place of articulation of a speech sound may be specified relative to some point of comparison...
, if the following syllable contains /i/, /ī/ or /j/ (voiced palatal approximant the sound of English
I-mutation has occurred in many languages (for example, it explains the alternations between Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
fiz < */fetsi/ "I did" vs. fez < */fetse/ "he did") and nowadays it is still productive in some Romance languages (for instance Central Venetian
Venetian language
Venetian or Venetan is a Romance language spoken as a native language by over two million people, mostly in the Veneto region of Italy, where of five million inhabitants almost all can understand it. It is sometimes spoken and often well understood outside Veneto, in Trentino, Friuli, Venezia...
where final -i is still visible te parchigi < */parchégi/ "you park your car" vs. parchégio "I park"). However, the term is usually taken (especially when referred to using the name "i-umlaut") to processes in the early Germanic languages
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
. I-mutation in the Romance languages is more commonly called "metaphony" (from Ancient Greek, meaning "process of changing sounds"); Umlaut is its rendering in German.
I-mutation is usually used to refer to a particular set of changes in the old Germanic languages. I-mutation is particularly important because it was productive
Productivity (linguistics)
In linguistics, productivity is the degree to which native speakers use a particular grammatical process, especially in word formation. Since use to produce novel structures is the clearest proof of usage of a grammatical process, the evidence most often appealed to as establishing productivity is...
in the prehistory of the Germanic languages and led to many alternations that are visible in the morphology
Morphology (linguistics)
In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...
of these languages, due to the prevalence of inflectional suffixes containing an /i/ or /j/.
This process took place separately in the various Germanic languages starting around 450 or 500 AD in the North Sea area, and affected all of the early languages except for Gothic
Gothic language
Gothic is an extinct Germanic language that was spoken by the Goths. It is known primarily from the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century copy of a 4th-century Bible translation, and is the only East Germanic language with a sizable Text corpus...
. It seems to have taken effect earliest, and was most complete in its implementation, in Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
and Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
. It took place later in Old High German, and by 900 AD its effects were visible only on /a/. (However, there are occasional spellings with y, ui, iu and oi, suggesting that /o/ and /u/ were already affected allophonically.)
For more information on the process in the Germanic languages, see Germanic umlaut
Germanic umlaut
In linguistics, umlaut is a process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vowel or semivowel. The term umlaut was originally coined and is used principally in connection with the study of the Germanic languages...
.
See also
- AffectionAffection (linguistics)In Celtic linguistics, affection is the change in the quality of a vowel under the influence of the vowel of the following, final syllable. The vowel triggering the change may or may not still be present in the modern language.The two main types of affection are a-infection and i-infection...
- i-mutation in the Celtic languages - Germanic umlautGermanic umlautIn linguistics, umlaut is a process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vowel or semivowel. The term umlaut was originally coined and is used principally in connection with the study of the Germanic languages...
- Old English phonologyOld English phonologyThe phonology of Old English is necessarily somewhat speculative, since it is preserved purely as a written language. Nevertheless, there is a very large corpus of Old English, and the written language apparently indicates phonological alternations quite faithfully, so it is not difficult to draw...