lokhljóðum

Lokhljóðum is a term used in Icelandic linguistics to refer to the terminal sounds of a word or morpheme—the final phoneme or set of phonemes that appear at the end of a syllable or word. The concept is employed in phonology, morphophonology, and orthography to describe how endings influence pronunciation, syllable structure, and spelling. In analyses, lokhljóðum can refer to final consonants, and in some approaches also to terminal vowels when a word ends in a vowel due to inflection, clitic attachment, or pronunciation rules.

The study of lokhljóðum encompasses a range of phenomena related to word endings. It includes how final sounds interact with suffixes and affixes, how endings affect prosody and meter, and how orthographic conventions reflect or obscure the actual ending phonemes. Some analyses emphasize final consonant behavior, such as retention or alteration by phonological rules, while others account for cases where a word ends in a vowel after inflection or clitic combination.

Etymology and usage: the term lokhljóðum derives from Icelandic lok- meaning end and hljóð meaning sound. It is used primarily in descriptive grammars, phonological works, and discussions of Nordic languages to describe the characteristic sounds that terminate words or morphemes. In practical terms, lokhljóðum helps explain patterns of pronunciation in inflected forms, the interaction between roots and endings, and how ending sounds influence spelling and phonotactics.