Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
apophony
noun
/əˈpɒfəni/
Definition
A phonological phenomenon where a vowel change occurs in the morphology of a word.
Examples
- The noun ‘foot’ becomes ‘feet’ through apophony.
- In various dialects, the word ‘sing’ can change to ‘sang’ through this vowel modification.
Meaning
In linguistics, apophony refers to the variations in vowel sounds that can change the meaning of a word or differentiate grammatical forms.
Synonyms
- Ablaut
- Vowel gradation
