Homoleptilisation

Homoleptilisation is a theoretical concept in linguistics that describes a hypothetical linguistic process where a language undergoes a uniform and parallel shift in the pronunciation of its vowel sounds. This means that all vowels in a language would move in a consistent direction within the vowel space, potentially affecting their height, backness, or rounding. For example, if a language were to undergo homoleptilisation, all its high vowels might become slightly lower, or all its back vowels might shift forward. This contrasts with other types of vowel shifts, such as chain shifts, where the movement of one vowel triggers compensatory movements in others, leading to a more complex, non-uniform pattern.

The concept of homoleptilisation is largely speculative and has not been widely observed or documented in real-world language change. Linguists typically focus on more observable and empirically supported phonological processes. However, the theoretical framework allows for exploring possibilities in language evolution and understanding the potential range of phonetic changes a language system can undergo. It serves as a conceptual tool to distinguish between different hypothetical mechanisms of sound change.