Monophthongization

A monophthongization is a phonetic change which can be a monophthong of a diphthong.

Monophthongization in German

For their German is mainly the so-called " frühneuhochdeutsche monophthongization " important. She changed the diphthongs ie [ iə ] uo [ uə ] and üe [ yə ] to ie [i ː ], u [u ː ] and u [y ː ] ( Wish words: love guote brüeder good to my brothers ).

The modern German monophthongization went from the 11th century by the middle of the German-speaking area of. Bairische and Alemannic dialects in the south and the Low German language in the north did not accept the changes and remain in this respect in older language condition.

The monophthongization is a sound change that affects only vowels. The modern German monophthongization has nothing to do with the High German consonant shift, which formerly took place clearly and exclusively concerns consonants.

Monophthongization in other languages

In the history of the Slavic languages ​​monophthongization is a part of the process of increasing tendency to Silbensonorität.

In the Semitic languages ​​the monophthongization is the basis for the occurrence of the vowels / e / ( from / ay / ) and / o / ( from / aw / ).