The two dots over a letter are known as a diaeresis or umlaut. It is a diacritical mark that is placed over a vowel to indicate that it should be pronounced separately from any adjacent vowels, rather than forming a diphthong. The diaeresis appears in several languages, including German, Hungarian, Dutch, and Turkish.
In German, the diaeresis is used over the vowels “a,” “o,” and “u.” When these vowels appear in certain combinations with other vowels, they would normally form a diphthong. However, when the diaeresis is used, it indicates that the two vowels should be pronounced separately. For example, the word “Saal” (meaning “hall” or “room”) contains the vowel combination “aa,” which would normally be pronounced as a long “a” sound. However, when the diaeresis is used, as in the word “Säal,” it indicates that the two vowels should be pronounced separately, resulting in a short “a” sound followed by a separate short “a” sound.
In Hungarian, the diaeresis is used over the vowels “o,” “u,” and “ú” (ú). It indicates that the vowel should be pronounced separately from any adjacent vowels, and also changes the pronunciation of the vowel in some cases. For example, the word “mézeskalács” (meaning “gingerbread”) contains the vowel combination “eze,” which would normally be pronounced as a diphthong. However, when the diaeresis is used, as in the word “mézéskalács,” it indicates that the two vowels should be pronounced separately, resulting in a different sound for the second “e.”
In Dutch, the diaeresis is used over the vowels “e,” “i,” and “o.” It serves a similar purpose as in German and Hungarian, indicating that two adjacent vowels should be pronounced separately. For example, the word “gekheid” (meaning “nonsense”) contains the vowel combination “ei,” which would normally be pronounced as a diphthong. However, when the diaeresis is used, as in the word “gekheïd,” it indicates that the two vowels should be pronounced separately, resulting in a different sound for the second “e.”
In Turkish, the diaeresis is used over the vowel “i.” It indicates that the vowel should be pronounced separately from any adjacent vowels, and also changes the pronunciation of the vowel in some cases. For example, the word “göz” (meaning “eye”) contains the vowel combination “öz,” which would normally be pronounced as a diphthong. However, when the diaeresis is used, as in the word “gözü,” it indicates that the two vowels should be pronounced separately, resulting in a different sound for the second “u.”
In addition to the above languages, the diaeresis is also used in some loanwords in English, particularly from German. For example, the word “über” (meaning “above” or “over”) contains the diaeresis over the vowel “u,” indicating that it should be pronounced separately from the adjacent “e.”
In conclusion, the diaeresis or umlaut is a diacritical mark used over a vowel to indicate that it should be pronounced separately from any adjacent vowels, rather than forming a diphthong. It appears in several languages, including German, Hungarian, Dutch, and Turkish, and is used to indicate changes in pronunciation or to differentiate between similar words. While its use is less common in English, it can still be found in loanwords from other languages.
