ˈver]nərz-, ˈvər] noun
Usage: usually capitalized V
Etymology: after Karl A. Verner died 1896 Dan. philologist, its formulator
: a statement in historical linguistics: in medial or final position in voiced environments and when the immediately preceding vowel did not bear the principal accent in Proto-Indo-European, the Proto-Germanic voiceless fricatives f, þ, and χ which came from the Proto-Indo-European voiceless stops p, t, and k respectively, and the Proto-Germanic voiceless fricative s which came from Proto-Indo-European s, became the voiced fricatives ƀ, ð, ǥ, and z respectively, represented in many of the recorded Germanic languages by b, d, g, and r respectively
the b of Gothic thaurbum “we need” as contrasted with the f of Gothic tharf “I need,” the final d of English dead as contrasted with the final th of English death, the g of Old High German zugum “we pulled” as contrasted with the h of Old High German ziohan “to pull,” and the r of English were as contrasted with the s of English was, are examples of Verner's law
— see grammatical change ; compare grimm's law