Grundfragen der Umlautphonemisierung

The author investigates the origin and development of umlauts in the history of the Nordic and West German languages. The author asks: which phonological processes occasion umlauts in language; how the historical layering of the i/j umlaut is represented; and how the absence of the phonetic i/j umlaut in certain contexts can be explained. To answer these questions, the author presents a comprehensive, structurally-based model which turns away from syncope-oriented research.