ablaut Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a vowel whose quality or length is changed to indicate linguistic distinctions (such as sing sang sung song)

WordNet

Ab"laut noun
Etymology
Ger., off-sound; ab off + laut sound.
Definitions
  1. (Philol.) The substitution of one root vowel for another, thus indicating a corresponding modification of use or meaning; vowel permutation; as, get, gat, got; sing, song; hang, hung. Earle.

Webster 1913