phonetic law

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

We find occurring in surnames examples of those consonantal changes which do not violate the great Phonetic law that such changes can only occur regularly within the same group, i.e. that a labial cannot alternate with a palatal, or a dental with either.

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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.

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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.

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Language as a Historical Product: Phonetic Law Parallels in drift in related languages.

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Phonetic law as illustrated in the history of certain English and German vowels and consonants.

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