Verner's law

proper noun

A sound law describing the voicing of voiceless fricatives in early Proto-Germanic, due to placement of the accent on a word.

“The discovery of Verner's law provided an explanation for the medial voiced plosive in Old English fæder "father".”

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. Indo European studiesA sound law describing the voicing of voiceless fricatives in early Proto-Germanic, due to placement of the accent on a word.

    The discovery of Verner's law provided an explanation for the medial voiced plosive in Old English fæder "father".

Origin

Named after Danish linguist Karl Verner (1846–1896).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch wet van Verner
  • wet van Vernersound law describing the voicing of voiceless fricatives in early Proto-Germanic
Polish prawo Vernera
  • prawo Vernerasound law describing the voicing of voiceless fricatives in early Proto-Germanic
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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