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Verner's law

noun

Linguistics.

  1. the statement by K. Verner of a regularity behind some apparent exceptions in the Germanic languages to Grimm's law, namely, that Proto-Germanic voiceless fricatives became voiced when between voiced sounds if the immediately preceding vowel was not accented in Proto-Indo-European.

Verner's law

/ ˈvɜːnəz, vɜːˈnɛərɪən /

noun

  1. linguistics a modification of Grimm's Law accommodating some of its exceptions. It states that noninitial voiceless fricatives in Proto-Germanic occurring as a result of Grimm's law became voiced fricatives if the previous syllable had been unstressed in Proto-Indo-European

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • Vernerian adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of Verner's law1

First recorded in 1890–95
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Word History and Origins

Origin of Verner's law1

C19: named after Karl Adolph Verner (1846–96), Danish philologist, who formulated it
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

This interchange of consonants is called Verner’s Law, see OHG.

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