Stang's law

proper noun

A Proto-Indo-European phonological rule that governs the word-final sequences of a vowel, followed firstly by a semivowel or a laryngeal and then by a nasal. Such sequences are simplified so that laryngeals and semivowels are dropped, with compensatory lengthening of a preceding vowel.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. Indo European studiesA Proto-Indo-European phonological rule that governs the word-final sequences of a vowel, followed firstly by a semivowel or a laryngeal and then by a nasal. Such sequences are simplified so that laryngeals and semivowels are dropped, with compensatory lengthening of a preceding vowel.

Origin

Named after the Norwegian linguist Christian Stang.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Stang's law. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Stang's%20law

MLA

“Stang's law.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Stang's%20law. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Stang's law,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Stang's%20law.

Source: Stang's law on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.