anlaut

[ ahn-lout ]

noun,plural an·lau·te [ahn-lou-tuh], /ˈɑnˌlaʊ tə/, an·lauts.Linguistics.
  1. initial position in a word, especially as a conditioning environment in sound change.

  2. a sound in this position.

Origin of anlaut

1
1880–85; <German, equivalent to an-on + Laut sound, as noun derivative of anlauten to begin (with a given sound)

Words Nearby anlaut

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024