umlaut

[ oom-lout ]

noun

1. Phonetics, Orthography. a diacritic (¨) used over a vowel, as ä, ö, ü, to indicate a vowel sound different from that of the letter without the diacritic, especially as so used in German. Compare dieresis ( def 2 ).
2. Also called vowel mutation. Linguistics, Phonetics. (in Germanic languages) assimilation in which a vowel is influenced by a following vowel or semivowel.

verb (used with object)

1. Linguistics, Phonetics. to modify by umlaut.
2. Phonetics, Orthography. to write an umlaut over.

umlaut

/ ˈʊmlaʊt /

noun

1. See diaeresis
   the mark (¨) placed over a vowel in some languages, such as German, indicating modification in the quality of the vowel Compare diaeresis
2. (esp in Germanic languages) the change of a vowel within a word brought about by the assimilating influence of a vowel or semivowel in a preceding or following syllable

Word History and Origins

Origin of umlaut¹

1835–45; < German, equivalent to um- about, around + Laut sound

Word History and Origins

Origin of umlaut¹

C19: German, from um around (in the sense of changing places) + Laut sound

Example Sentences

The letter is equivalent to (o umlaut); the correct letterform may have been unavailable to the printer.

From Project Gutenberg

There is no trace of such vocalic mutation (“umlaut”) in Gothic, our most archaic Germanic language.

From Project Gutenberg

Meanwhile all consciousness of the merely phonetic nature of “umlaut” vanished centuries ago.

From Project Gutenberg

“Umlaut” is still a very live symbolic process in German, possibly more alive to-day than in medieval times.

From Project Gutenberg

The u- -umlaut of a is wanting, except in eawles 126; for heatel 128 heates is read.

From Project Gutenberg