umlaut

A change in a vowel sound caused by partial assimilation especially to a vowel or semivowel occurring in the following syllable.

A vowel sound changed in this manner.

The diacritic mark (¨) placed over a vowel to indicate an umlaut, especially in German.

To modify by umlaut.

To write or print (a vowel) with an umlaut.

In philology, to form with the umlaut, as a form; also, to affect or modify by umlaut, as a sound.

In philology, the German name, invented by Grimm, for a vowel-change in the Germanic languages, brought about by the influence of a vowel in the succeeding syllable: namely, of the vowel i, modifying the preceding vowel in the direction of e or i, and of the vowel u, modifying the preceding vowel toward a or u.

The euphonic modification of a root vowel sound by the influence of a, u, or especially i, in the syllable which formerly followed.

An assimilatory process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vocoid that is separated by one or more consonants.