Ablaut Gradation and Umlaut Mutation : The Indo-European Germanic Identity of English Vowel Shifts

Abstract : This paper aims at shedding light on two linguistic phenomena : Indo-European Ablaut and Germanic Umlaut. The former being mainly morphological and the latter being mainly phonological . The main purpose of this research is, first , triggered by a huge interest from the author and ,second, to present a general overview on the two phenomena . It presents Ablaut role in the inflection and derivation in some Indo-European languages and how its patterns have begun , evolved and been inherited in modern data. This paper also exposes Umlaut diachrony , types and autosegmental account and its synchronisation . Key words : Ablaut, Umlaut ,Indo-European morphology , Historical Germanic phonology, vowel grades, vowel mutation, autosegmental phonology.