patterned change of base vowels in forms of a word or in related words to show changes in tense, meaning, etc., as in the Indo-European languages (Ex.: drink, drank, drunk)
Origin of ablautGerman from ab-, off, from + laut, sound: see loud
A vowel change, characteristic of Indo-European languages, that accompanies a change in grammatical function; for example, i, a, u in sing, sang, sung. Also called apophony . Also called gradation .
Origin of ablautGerman ab off ( from Middle High German ab, abe ) ( from Old High German aba ; see apo- in Indo-European roots.) Laut sound ( from Middle High German lūt ) ( from Old High German hlūt ; see kleu- in Indo-European roots.)
(third-person singular simple present ablauts, present participle ablauting, simple past and past participle ablauted)
- (intransitive, linguistics, of a vowel-containing linguistic component) To undergo a change of vowel.
- (linguistics) To cause to change a vowel.