umlautdieresis

umlautdieresis is a diacritical mark consisting of two dots placed horizontally above a vowel. It is used in several languages, most notably in German, where it modifies the pronunciation of the vowel. In German, umlautdieresis over the vowels a, o, and u results in the sounds /ɛ/, /ø/, and /y/ respectively, which are distinct from their umlauted counterparts. For example, "a" is pronounced /a/, while "ä" is pronounced /ɛ/.

The umlautdieresis is also found in other languages, though its function may differ. In some languages, it indicates that a vowel should be pronounced separately from the vowel preceding it, rather than forming a diphthong. For example, in French, the name "Noël" uses the umlautdieresis over the 'e' to indicate that the 'o' and 'e' are pronounced as distinct syllables, not as a single sound. Similarly, in Catalan, words like "llaüts" use the umlautdieresis to separate vowel sounds.

The origin of the umlautdieresis can be traced back to medieval scribal practices in the Germanic languages. Initially, scribes would sometimes write a small 'e' above a vowel to indicate the umlaut sound. Over time, this 'e' became stylized into two dots. The term "umlaut" itself is German and means "altered sound." The term "dieresis" comes from Greek and means "separation," reflecting its use in separating vowel sounds in some languages. The visual appearance of the umlautdieresis is identical to that of the diaeresis, a diacritical mark with a similar function of indicating separate pronunciation of vowels, leading to potential confusion in some contexts.