Wiktionary

sound law

English edit

 
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Etymology edit

Calque of German Lautgesetz.

Pronunciation edit

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈsaʊnd lɔː/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈsaʊnd lɔ/, (cot–caught merger) /ˈsaʊnd lɑ/

Noun edit

sound law (plural sound laws)

  1. (phonology) A rule that describes historical sound change (the change in pronunciation of a given sound or cluster of sounds) in the development of a language. [from 19th c.]
    • 1877, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, page 118:
      Then, to oversimplify, if there are similarities in sound and meaning between two words that do not obey the sound laws that have been established, we conclude that they have resulted from borrowing.
    • 1940, Ainsley Maxwell Carlton, A Relative Chronology of Old Icelandic Sound Laws, Leland Stanford Junior University, page 114:
      In conclusion, we present the sound laws of Old Icelandic in the chronological order which represents the results of this dissertation.
    • 2000, Andrew L. Sihler, Language History, John Benjamins Publishing Company, page 50:
      For reasons that will become clear shortly, this limitation of sound laws to a specific time is an important trait.

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