Diphthongize (Verb)
Meaning
Change from a simple vowel to a diphthong; "This vowel diphthongized in Germanic".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- The long 'i' vowel in Old English eventually diphthongized into a more modern English 'ai' sound.
- In some dialects of Modern English, the 'u' in 'house' may diphthongize to a combination of 'a' and 'i' sounds.
- The language pattern shows that 'u' tends to diphthongize before bilabial consonants in casual speech.
- As the vowel 'e' appears before the consonant cluster 'ng' in some English words, it often diphthongizes into 'ai'.
- The Middle English vowel 'e' diphthongized over time into the 'ei' sound that we hear in Modern English.