Affection (linguistics) facts for kids

Affection in linguistics is a cool way that sounds in a language can change. It's when a vowel (like 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u') changes its sound because of another vowel that comes right after it in the next part of a word. Think of it like one sound influencing another!

This change often happens in Celtic languages, which are spoken in places like Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. Sometimes, the vowel that caused the change later disappears from the word.

What is Vowel Affection?

Vowel affection is a type of sound change. It's like a sound getting ready for the next sound. The vowel in one part of a word changes its sound to be more like the vowel in the next part.

• Imagine a word has two vowels.
• The second vowel can "affect" the first one.
• This makes the first vowel change its sound.
• Later, the second vowel might even disappear.

An Example from Welsh

Let's look at an example from the Welsh language. This helps us see how affection works.

• The Welsh word for "word" is gair.
• There's a suffix (a small ending) -iadur. This suffix means "device."
• When you put them together, you get geiriadur. This means "dictionary."

How the Vowel Changed

In this example, the 'ai' sound in gair changed to 'ei' in geiriadur. The 'i' sound in the -iadur suffix caused this change. It's a clear example of how one vowel can influence another.

Types of Affection

There are a few main types of vowel affection. They are named after the vowel that causes the change.

• i-affection: This happens when an 'i' or 'y' sound causes a vowel to change. It's similar to something called "umlaut" in languages like German.
• a-affection: This is when an 'a' sound causes a vowel to change.
• u-affection: Sometimes called "u-infection," this is when a 'u' sound causes a vowel to change.

These changes show how languages are always evolving. Sounds shift and adapt over time, often to make words easier to say.

See also

• Apocope
• Metaphony