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schwa indogermanicum
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schwa indogermanicum

vowel
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Quick Summary

The term "schwa" refers to a vowel sound, typically unstressed, represented by the symbol \u0259. It is the most common vowel in English, found in words like "America" and "item". This sound is produced with the tongue in a relaxed, central position in the mouth.12

The term "schwa indogermanicum" is a reconstructed Proto-Indo-European vowel that was posited to explain certain sound correspondences before the laryngeal theory was developed. This reconstructed vowel is distinct from the modern English schwa sound.34

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4 Britannica Sources
  1. schwa
  2. Indo-European languages - Consonants
  3. schwa
  4. Proto-Indo-European language - Consonants

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