consonant shift

consonant shift
noun
1. : the set of regular changes in consonant articulation which distinguish the Germanic languages from the other Indo-European languages and through which Indo-European voiceless stops become Germanic voiceless fricatives (as in Greek pyr, treis, kardia compared with English fire, three, heart), Indo-European voiced stops become Germanic voiceless stops (as in Old Slavic jablŭko, Greek dyo, genos compared with English apple, two, kin), and Indo-European voiced aspirated stops become Germanic voiced fricatives (as in Sanskrit nābhi, madhya “mid”, Latin helvus compared with English navel, Old Norse mithr “mid”, English yellow) — called also first consonant shift, Germanic consonant shift
2. : the set of regular changes in consonant articulation which distinguish High German from the other Germanic languages and through which Germanic voiceless stops become High German affricates or voiceless fricatives (as in English pound, open, ten, eat, corn, make compared with German pfund, offen, zehn, essen, Upper German kchorn, German machen) and Germanic voiced stops become High German voiceless stops (as in English rib, middle, Dutch egge “edge”, compared with German rippe, mittel “means”, ecke “corner”) — called also second consonant shift, High German consonant shift
3. : the Germanic and High German consonant shifts together
4. : any set of regular changes in consonant articulation in the history of a language or dialect

the Armenian consonant shift

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Ling.
a set of changes that take place in the articulation of one or more consonant phonemes between an earlier and a later stage of a language. Cf. first consonant shift, second consonant shift.
[1885-90]

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consonant shift,
Linguistics. the regular change in consonantal sounds that took place in the development of the Germanic languages, as set forth in Grimm's Law.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • consonant shift — n. a sound change or series of connected sound changes in the consonants of a language or family of languages, as a series of changes in the Indo European stops that set Germanic apart from other Indo European languages, or of changes in the… …   English World dictionary

  • consonant shift — Ling. a set of changes that take place in the articulation of one or more consonant phonemes between an earlier and a later stage of a language. Cf. first consonant shift, second consonant shift. [1885 90] * * * …   Universalium

  • consonant shift — con′sonant shift n. ling. a set of changes taking place in the articulation of one or more consonant phonemes between an earlier and a later stage of a language, as the shift by which Germanic languages became differentiated from other Indo… …   From formal English to slang

  • consonant shift — noun Date: 1888 a set of regular changes in consonant articulation in the history of a language or dialect: a. such a set affecting the Indo European stops and distinguishing the Germanic languages from the other Indo European languages compare… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • consonant shift — См. mutazione consonàntica …   Пятиязычный словарь лингвистических терминов

  • High German consonant shift — High German subdivides into Upper German (green) and Central German (blue), and is distinguished from Low German (yellow) and Dutch. The main isoglosses, the Benrath and Speyer lines, are marked in black. In historical linguistics, the High… …   Wikipedia

  • first consonant shift — noun see consonant shift * * * the consonant shift described by Grimm s law, which distinguishes Germanic languages from other Indo European languages. Cf. consonant shift, second consonant shift. [1930 35] …   Useful english dictionary

  • second consonant shift — noun see consonant shift * * * the consonant shift by which High German became differentiated from other Germanic languages. Cf. consonant shift, first consonant shift. [1935 40] …   Useful english dictionary

  • first consonant shift — the consonant shift described by Grimm s law, which distinguishes Germanic languages from other Indo European languages. Cf. consonant shift, second consonant shift. [1930 35] * * * …   Universalium

  • second consonant shift — the consonant shift by which High German became differentiated from other Germanic languages. Cf. consonant shift, first consonant shift. [1935 40] * * * …   Universalium

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