keerdumine

Keerdumine is a term primarily used in Estonian linguistics to describe a specific type of consonant change that occurs within words. It refers to the phenomenon where a consonant's voicing status changes, specifically from voiceless to voiced or from voiced to voiceless, under certain phonological conditions. This change is often influenced by the surrounding sounds, particularly vowels and other consonants, and can be a regular, predictable process in Estonian grammar.

The most common manifestation of keerdumine involves the alternation between voiceless and voiced stops. For instance, a word-initial voiceless stop might become voiced when preceded by a voiced sound. Conversely, a voiced consonant might become voiceless in specific environments. This process is a key feature of Estonian phonology and plays a significant role in the inflectional morphology of nouns and verbs. Understanding keerdumine is crucial for comprehending the sound system and grammatical structure of the Estonian language, as it affects how words are pronounced and how they change in different grammatical contexts. It is a fundamental aspect of Estonian phonological alternation.