vowel harmony - Definition & Meaning

a phonological process in which vowels within a word or across adjacent words become more similar or assimilate to each other in terms of certain phonetic featuresa phonological process in which vowels within a word or across adjacent words become more similar or assimilate to each other in terms of certain phonetic features

Vowel harmony is a phonological phenomenon where vowels within a word harmonize to share certain features, such as frontness or backness, roundness, or height. In languages with vowel harmony, vowels that are similar in these features tend to occur together, while vowels that differ may be restricted from appearing in the same word. For example, in Turkish, if a word begins with a front vowel, the subsequent vowels in the word will also typically be front vowels, as in "kedi" (cat), while a back vowel would lead to a different pattern. Vowel harmony is important in linguistics because it helps to organize vowel usage within languages and contributes to understanding phonological rules and sound patterns.Vowel harmony is a phonological phenomenon where vowels within a word harmonize to share certain features, such as frontness or backness, roundness, or height. In languages with vowel harmony, vowels that are similar in these features tend to occur together, while vowels that differ may be restricted from appearing in the same word. For example, in Turkish, if a word begins with a front vowel, the subsequent vowels in the word will also typically be front vowels, as in "kedi" (cat), while a back vowel would lead to a different pattern. Vowel harmony is important in linguistics because it helps to organize vowel usage within languages and contributes to understanding phonological rules and sound patterns.

例句

Vowel harmony is a phonological process in which vowels within a word agree in certain features, such as frontness or backness, to create a more harmonious sound.
元音和谐是一种音系过程，其中单词内的元音在某些特征上达成一致，如前或后，以创造出更和谐的声音。
Turkish is a language that exhibits vowel harmony, where suffixes change their vowels to match the frontness or backness of the vowels in the root word.
土耳其语是一种展现元音和谐的语言，其中后缀会改变其元音以匹配词根中元音的前后位置。
Vowel harmony can significantly impact the morphology of a language, influencing how words and affixes are formed and pronounced.
元音和谐可以显著影响语言的形态，影响单词和词缀的形成和发音方式。