Etymology:
Meaning:
Origin:
Umlaut originated in the Proto-Germanic period (around 500 BC) as a process of vowel harmony, where a vowel changed its pronunciation to match the vowel in the following syllable. Initially, this was a purely phonetic change that did not affect the spelling.
Around the 8th century AD, scribes in Old High German began to use the umlaut mark to distinguish between words with different pronunciations but similar spellings. For example, "trosta" (comfort) and "trösta" (to comfort) were originally pronounced with the same vowel sound. The umlaut mark was added to the latter word to indicate its changed pronunciation.
The umlaut process continued to operate in German until around the 16th century, after which it became a purely orthographic convention. In modern German, umlaut can occur in any vowel (a, e, i, o, u) and is typically used to distinguish between different forms of the same word or between different words with related meanings.
Examples of Umlaut in German:
Etymology of Ablaut The term ablaut derives from German and means change of vowel It
Etymology German Umlaut Old High German Umbilūti um around about lūt inclina
Etymology Middle English abaft from Old French abaf arriere from Late Latin ab af
Etymology Etymology is the study of the origin and history of words It involves tracing
Etymology The word alley comes from the Old French word alée which means a passage
Etymology The term ambagious is derived from the Latin word ambages which means a
Etymology Latin ambactus meaning servant retainer French ambassadeur from ambact
Etymology Late Latin ambiguus doubtful uncertain Ultimately from Proto Indo Europe
Etymology Ambi Latin both dexter Latin right hand Meaning Ambidexteri
Etymology The word ambidextrous originates from two Latin words ambi meaning bot
Etymology The word ambience comes from the Latin word ambire meaning to surround o
Etymology Latin ambiēns present participle of ambīre to go around Meaning Su
Etymology Ambiguous etymology refers to words whose origin and history are uncertain or
Etymology The word ambit has Latin origins It derives from the Latin word ambire me
Etymology and Meaning of Ambition The word ambition comes from the Latin word ambitio
Etymology Latin ambi meaning both around Latin īre meaning to go ous suff
Etymology The word amble is derived from the Old French word ambler which means to
Etymology The word ambulance comes from the Latin ambulantia meaning to walk or
Etymology The word ambulant comes from the Latin word ambulare meaning to walk
Etymology Latin ambulare meaning to walk Proto Indo European h₂em meaning to
Etymology The word ambulatory derives from the Latin word ambulare meaning to walk
Etymology Greek ἀμφί amphi Meaning On both sides About around Origin T
Etymology The word amphibian comes from the Greek words amphi ἀμφί and bios
Etymology and Meaning of Amphictyonic Etymology The term amphictyonic is derived from
Etymology The word amphisbaena comes from the Ancient Greek words amphi meaning bo
Etymology Greek amphi both sides skia shadow Meaning Amphiscians refers
Etymology Greek amphoreus from amphi both pherein to carry Meaning A two
Etymology From Latin amputare meaning to cut off Derived from amb meaning ar
Etymology of Amputation Origin Latin amputationem nominative amputatio meanin
Etymology Ancillary derives from the Latin word ancilla meaning maidservant or
Etymology Andante is derived from the Italian present participle of andare meaning t
Etymology Latin anfractus a winding bend Proto Indo European h₂n̥k to ben
Etymology The word begin comes from the Old English word beginnan which means to pe
Etymology Old French belaguer from Late Latin bellicare from Latin bellicus of w
Etymology is the study of the origin of words their form and their semantic changes over
Etymology French bivouac German biwak camp place of encampment Swiss German bivak
Etymology Latin circum around ambulare to walk Meaning To walk around or
Etymology The word embassy comes from the French word ambassade which in turn deriv
Etymology and Meaning of Ember Days The term ember days is derived from the Latin phras
Etymology From Late Latin funambulus from funis rope ambulare to walk Mea
Etymology The word ombudsman originates from the Old Swedish word ombuds which mean
Etymology Latin perambulare Prefix per through over Root ambulare to walk
Etymology Latin perambulare to walk through or around Per through ambulare
Etymology The word preamble originates from the Middle French word preambule meanin
Etymology Somno Latin sleep Ambulare Latin to walk Meaning To walk or be
Etymology Somnambulism comes from the Latin somnus meaning sleep and ambulare m
Etymology German Umlaut Old High German Umbilūti um around about lūt inclina
Etymology of Ablaut The term ablaut derives from German and means change of vowel It
Etymology The name Cleon is derived from the Greek word kleos meaning glory or r
Etymology Greek Κλειώ Kleio Meaning Proclaimer or maker glorious Ori
Etymology and Origin Greek Δαμόκλεις Damokleēs Meaning Name Damocl
Etymology The name Hercules derives from the Latin name Hercules and the Greek name Hēra
Etymology The word list has several etymologies Old English liste meaning a bord
Etymology The word listen comes from the Middle English word listnen which in turn c
Etymology The word loud comes from the Middle English word loude which in turn orig
Etymology The name Mstislav is of Slavic origin Components Mst This stem means r
Etymology Greek Περικλῆς Periklēs Meaning Surrounded by glory or r
Etymology The word Slav is derived from the Proto Slavic word Slavěninъ meaning peo
Etymology The term Slavic originates from the Proto Slavic word slověninъ meaning s
Etymology The name Slovenian is derived from the Proto Slavic word slověninъ meaning
Etymology The name Sophocles comes from the Greek words sophos σοφός meaning
Etymology German Umlaut Old High German Umbilūti um around about lūt inclina
Etymology and Meaning The name Wenceslas is derived from the Old Slavic name Václav m
Etymology The word mutation is derived from the Latin word mutatio meaning change
Etymology The word bird has its roots in Old English where it was spelled bridd or
Etymology and Meaning Etymology From Ancient Greek διαίρεσις diaíresis
Etymology The word diacritic comes from the Greek word diakritikos meaning distinct
Etymology Middle English vessel from Anglo French vaissel vessel from Latin vas ge
Etymology Greek ἁμαρτία hamartía meaning error wrongdoing or sin
Etymology The word metastasis is derived from the Greek word μετάστασις meta
Etymology Old French sauve Latin salvus whole safe Meaning To protect or
