chain shifts

A form of chain shift — A phonological modification of a vowel system or sometimes consonant system in which a change in a particular vowel or consonant causes other adjacent vowels or consonants to also change in order to avoid phonemic mergers.

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of chain shift
Cite this entry
APA

chain shifts. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chain%20shifts

MLA

“chain shifts.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chain%20shifts. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

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

Source: chain shifts on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.