Auslaut
|Aus-laut|
/ˈaʊsˌlaʊt/
final sound
Etymology
'Auslaut' originates from German, specifically the word 'Auslaut', where the prefix 'aus-' meant 'out' and 'Laut' meant 'sound'.
'Auslaut' was adopted into English as a technical linguistic borrowing from German (primarily via phonological literature) in the 19th–20th century, retaining its original form and specialized meaning.
Initially in German it literally meant 'out-sound' (the sound at the 'outside' or end); over time, in both German and English linguistic usage it has come to mean specifically the final sound or word-final segment and is used in technical descriptions.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the final sound or sequence of sounds of a syllable or word (word‑final segment); used in phonology to refer to sounds occurring at the end of a word, often discussed in contrasts like final devoicing.
In German phonology, the voiced consonant is devoiced in the Auslaut (final position).
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/20 10:16