Grimm's law
volume
British pronunciation/ɡɹˈɪmz lˈɔː/
American pronunciation/ɡɹˈɪmz lˈɔː/

Definition & Meaning of "Grimm's law"

Grimm's law
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a fundamental principle in historical linguistics that describes the systematic sound changes observed in the transition from Proto-Indo-European to Germanic languages, including the transformation of certain consonant sounds

What is "Grimm's law"?

Grimm's Law explains how certain sounds changed in the Germanic languages compared to other Indo-European languages. Proposed by linguist Jacob Grimm, it shows that voiceless sounds like "p," "t," and "k" became softer sounds like "f," "th," and "h." For example, the word for "foot" in Proto-Indo-European changed to "Fuß" in German. This law helps linguists understand how Germanic languages evolved and relate to other languages in the Indo-European family.

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