monophthongizationn.
/ˌmɒnə(f)θɒŋɡʌɪˈzeɪʃn/, U.S. /ˌmɑnəpˌθɔŋˌ(ɡ)əˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/, /ˌmɑnəpˌθɔŋˌ(ɡ)aɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/, /ˌmɑnə(f)ˌθɔŋˌ(ɡ)əˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/, /ˌmɑnə(f)ˌθɔŋˌ(ɡ)aɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/, /ˌmɑnəpˌθɑŋˌ(ɡ)əˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/, /ˌmɑnəpˌθɑŋˌ(ɡ)aɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/, /ˌmɑnə(f)ˌθɑŋˌ(ɡ)əˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/, /ˌmɑnə(f)ˌθɑŋˌ(ɡ)aɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/ The process by which a vowel sound changes, or is changed, to a monophthong; an instance or result of this.
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the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > vowel > [noun] > conversion to monophthong
monophthongization1880
smoothing1888
monophthonging1894
monophthongizing1904
1880 H. Sweet in Trans. Philol. Soc. 158 That unaccented (æi) underwent a gradual approximation of its elements, ending in monophthongization and shortening.
1885 Amer. Jrnl. Philol. 6 420 Cases claimed as examples of the monophthongization of ει.
1935 Harvard Univ. Summer Ph.D. Theses 288 Under smoothing are included all monophthongizations and monophthong-retaining effects which are due to WG (originally) velar consonants.
1979 Archivum Linguisticum 9 156 Pajares notes that the loss of laryngeal and the lengthening (and in some cases vowel coloring) of the preceding vowel can also be considered a monophthongization.
1990 Eng. World-wide 11 207 Americana speakers show little evidence of monophthongization.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1880