Understanding Monophthongization in English Language Evolution

Monophthongization is a process in which a diphthong (a vowel sound that changes within the same syllable) is simplified to a single vowel sound. This can occur when the two elements of a diphthong are pronounced more closely together, or when the distinction between the two elements becomes less important or is lost over time.

For example, in Old English, the word "bat" was pronounced with a diphthong /ai/ (like the "eye" in "buy"), but over time this diphthong was monophthongized and became the single vowel sound /
/ (like the "a" in "cat"). Similarly, the word "bite" used to have a diphthong /ou/ (like the "oo" in "boot"), but this has also been monophthongized and is now pronounced with a single vowel sound /oʊ/ (like the "o" in "go").

Monophthongization can occur for a variety of reasons, including changes in pronunciation, language contact, or simply the natural evolution of a language over time. It's a common process in linguistics and can be seen in many languages throughout history.