Umlaut in Jerusalem Domari

This study conducts a phonetic and phonological analysis of the umlaut phenomenon within the gender system of Jerusalem Domari. Using descriptive research and acoustic analysis of recordings, the study establishes several key findings: A contrast is observed in the integration of pre‑Arabic loanwords (Persian, Kurdish, Turkish) with Indo‑Aryan native words, which follow the umlaut rules, whereas the loanwords from Arabic, the most recent contact language, do not. A clear phonemic distinction is identified between the two open vowels, [a(ː)] and [ɑ(ː)], in pre‑Arabic words, while these vowels exhibit allophonic values in the Arabic loanwords.