Magánhangzóira

Magánhangzóira is a grammatical concept in Hungarian linguistics referring to the vowel harmony rules of the Hungarian language. Hungarian has a system of vowel harmony, meaning that vowels within a word tend to belong to specific categories. There are two main types of Hungarian vowels: front vowels (e, é, i, í, ö, ő, ü, ű) and back vowels (a, á, o, ó, u, ú).

The rule of magánhangzóira dictates that most suffixes in Hungarian change their vowel to match the vowel type of the word's stem. If a word contains only front vowels, the suffix will take its front vowel form. If a word contains only back vowels, the suffix will take its back vowel form. Words with mixed vowels follow specific rules, often determined by the last vowel in the word. For example, the accusative case suffix is typically -t, but if the word has front vowels, it becomes -et or -öt, and if it has back vowels, it becomes -at or -ot.

This feature is crucial for the agglutinative nature of Hungarian, where numerous suffixes are attached to a root word to express grammatical relationships. Magánhangzóira ensures a phonetic consistency and flow within words, contributing to the distinct sound of the Hungarian language. Understanding vowel harmony is essential for correct Hungarian grammar, including noun declension and verb conjugation. The rules can be complex, with some exceptions and specific vowel groupings, but the general principle of vowel assimilation remains a cornerstone of Hungarian phonology and morphology.