| Vertical Vowel System |
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Vertical vowel systems need not be Phonetically vertical and, in fact, rarely are. Wichita , for instance, possesses a vertical vowel system; however, two of the vowels it uses (e and '''i''') are phonetically fronted, and the other ('''a''') is phonetically backed. '''o''' is also heard phonetically, but is a contraction of vowel + '''w''' + short vowel , also a common realisation of the same sequence in Abkhaz . More than twenty different vowel shadings have been noted in Kabardian , and in Ubykh , complex phonetic vowel features such as Nasality have been noted. Zero-dimensional vowel systems (one phonemic vowel only) have been postulated for some Abkhaz dialects, and for Kabardian; however, it is generally accepted that these analyses are flawed. Vertical vowel systems, invariably contrasting only in vowel height, have been noted for the following languages:
A rudimentary vertical vowel system is also found in the Short Vowel s of Irish , which only carry a phonemic height contrast. The Long Vowel s of Irish, however, do maintain a front-back distinction. |
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