Question

The sound change of Proto-Indo-Aryan /p/ to Germanic /f/, deduced by comparing cognates like Latin pater, Sanskrit pita and English father, is an example of _________.

• A. Grassman’s Law
• B. Lyman’s Law
• C. Grimm’s Law
• D. Verner’s Law

Hint:

Grimm’s Law is a fundamental principle in historical linguistics that explains the consonant shifts in the Germanic languages from Proto-Indo-European.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question.
The sound change described is a famous example of the regular sound shifts that occurred in the Germanic languages, which is referred to as Grimm's Law. It deals with the systematic change of Proto-Indo-European consonants in the early Germanic languages.

Step 2: Analyzing the options.
- (A) Grassman’s Law: This law deals with a specific phonological rule in Sanskrit, not the sound change of Proto-Indo-Aryan to Germanic.
- (B) Lyman’s Law: This law is related to the restriction on the occurrence of certain consonants in a sequence.
- (C) Grimm’s Law: This correctly describes the shift of /p/ to /f/ in the Germanic languages, making this the correct answer.
- (D) Verner’s Law: This law addresses a different set of sound changes, particularly vowel changes, and is not related to the described shift.

Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct answer is (C) Grimm’s Law, which correctly explains the described phonological change.