phonetic law

American  

noun

Historical Linguistics.

1. a statement of some regular pattern of sound change in a specific language, as Grimm's law or Verner's law.

---

Example Sentences

If they all, or practically all, are taken by the drift, phonetic law 13 will be as “regular,” as sweeping, as most of the twelve that have preceded it.

From Language An Introduction to the Study of Speech by Sapir, Edward

We have in it a splendid example of how a simple phonetic law, meaningless in itself, may eventually color or transform large reaches of the morphology of a language.

From Language An Introduction to the Study of Speech by Sapir, Edward

According to phonetic law the latter word should have become litch in modern English; but it very early underwent a punning alteration which made it homophonous with the ancient word for physician.

From Society for Pure English Tract 4 The Pronunciation of English Words Derived from the Latin by Sargeaunt, John

The psychology of this phonetic law is entirely analogous to that of 1.The old drift toward reducing final syllables, a rhythmic consequence of the strong Germanic stress on the first syllable, now manifested itself.

From Language An Introduction to the Study of Speech by Sapir, Edward