Template:Short description Template:Infobox IPA Template:IPA vowels

The near-open central vowel, or near-low central vowel,<ref>Template:Vowel terminology</ref> is a type of vowel sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is Template:Angbr IPA, a rotated lowercase double-story a.

In English this vowel is most typically transcribed with the symbol Template:Angbr IPA, i.e. as if it were open-mid back. That pronunciation is still found in some dialects, but many speakers use a central vowel like {{#invoke:IPA|main}} or Template:IPAblink. To avoid the trap–strut merger, Standard Southern British English is moving away from the {{#invoke:IPA|main}} quality towards Template:IPAblink found in RP spoken in the first half of the 20th century (e.g. in Daniel Jones's speech).Template:Sfnp

Much like Template:Angbr IPA, Template:Angbr IPA is a versatile symbol that is not defined for roundednessTemplate:Sfnp and that can be used for vowels that are near-open central,Template:Sfnp near-open near-front,Template:Sfnp near-open near-back,Template:Sfnp open-mid central,Template:Sfnp open centralTemplate:Sfnp or an (often unstressed) vowel with variable height, backness and/or roundedness that is produced in that general area.Template:Sfnp For open central unrounded vowels transcribed with Template:Angbr IPA, see open central unrounded vowel.

When the usual transcription of the near-open near-front and the near-open near-back variants is different from Template:Angbr IPA, they are listed in near-open front unrounded vowel and open back unrounded vowel or open back rounded vowel, respectively.

The near-open central unrounded vowel is sometimes the only open vowel in a languageTemplate:Sfnp and then is typically transcribed with Template:Angbr IPA.

FeaturesEdit

Template:Near-open vowel Template:Central vowel

  • It is undefined for roundedness, which means that it can be either rounded or unrounded. In practice however, the unrounded variant is more common.

OccurrenceEdit

In the following list, Template:Angbr IPA is assumed to be unrounded. The rounded variant ({{#if:Near-open central rounded vowel.ogg|{{#ifexist:Media:Near-open central rounded vowel.ogg|<phonos file="Near-open central rounded vowel.ogg">listen</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Near-open central rounded vowel.ogg" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}) is transcribed as Template:Angbr IPA. Some instances of the latter may actually be fully open.

Language Word IPA Meaning Notes
Adyghe lang}} / să main}} 'I' main}}. See Adyghe phonology
BengaliTemplate:Sfnp lang}} / pa main}} 'leg' Typically transcribed in IPA with Template:Angbr IPA. See Bengali phonology
BulgarianTemplate:Sfnp lang}}/para main}} 'coin' main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.Template:Sfnp May be transcribed in IPA with Template:Angbr IPA. See Bulgarian phonology
BurmeseTemplate:Sfnp lang}}/maat main}} 'vertical' main}} in syllables closed by a glottal stop and when nasalized; realized as fully open Template:IPAblink in open oral syllables.Template:Sfnp
Catalan Barcelona metropolitan areaTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp lang}} main}} 'yet, still, even' Corresponds to Template:IPAblink in other Eastern dialects. See Catalan phonology
Chinese CantoneseTemplate:Sfnp lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} main}} 'heart' Open-mid.Template:Sfnp See Cantonese phonology
ShanghaineseTemplate:Sfnp {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} main}} 'to cut' Appears only in closed syllables; the exact height and backness is somewhat variable.Template:Sfnp
DanishTemplate:Sfnp lang}} main}} 'understands' main}}, i.e. Template:IPAblink. Other possible realizations are {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp See Danish phonology
Dinka LuanyjangTemplate:Sfnp laŋ main}} 'berry' main}}; varies between near-open {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and open-mid {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.Template:Sfnp
Emilian lang}} main}} 'Bologna' main}}.
English CaliforniaTemplate:Sfnp nut main}} 'nut' See English phonology
CockneyTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp main}} Near-front.Template:Sfnp
East AnglianTemplate:Sfnp main}} Used in some places (e.g. Colchester) instead of the traditional Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp
New ZealandTemplate:Sfnp {{#invoke:IPA|main}} main}}, near-open central {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, open near-front Template:IPAblink and open central Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp See New Zealand English phonology
Received PronunciationTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp Increasingly retracted to Template:IPAblink to avoid the trap-strut merger.Template:Sfnp See English phonology
Inland Northern American<ref>Template:Citation</ref> bet main}} 'bet' main}} used in some places whose accents have undergone the Northern cities vowel shift.
Middle Class London<ref name="alt188">Template:Harvcoltxt. The authors differentiate between symbols {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}; the former denotes a more back vowel.</ref> lot main}} 'lot' Rounded; can be back Template:IPAblink instead.<ref name="alt188"/> See English phonology
AustralianTemplate:Sfnp comma main}} 'comma' Alternatively lowered from word-final Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp See Australian English phonology
Galician lang}} main}} 'done' main}}. See Galician phonology
German StandardTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp lang}} Template:Audio-IPA 'opera' The exact height, backness and roundedness is somewhere between Template:IPAblink and Template:IPAblink, depending on the environment. Sometimes, an opening diphthong of the {{#invoke:IPA|main}}-type is used instead.Template:Sfnp In Northern Standard German, the short Template:IPAblink is raised to {{#invoke:IPA|main}} when unstressed, rendering {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'grandpa' homophonous with {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.Template:Sfnp See Standard German phonology
Regional northern accentsTemplate:Sfnp lang}} main}} 'to come' main}} and back {{#invoke:IPA|main}}; corresponds to an open-mid rounded Template:IPAblink in Standard German.Template:Sfnp See Standard German phonology
Greek Modern StandardTemplate:Sfnp lang}} / akaa main}} 'acacia' Most often transcribed in IPA with Template:Angbr IPA. See Modern Greek phonology
HausaTemplate:Sfnp Template:Example needed main}}, which can be as close as Template:IPAblink and as open as Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp
HindustaniTemplate:Sfnp lang}}/Template:Uninastaliq/das main}} 'ten' main}}.Template:Sfnp See Hindustani phonology
KoreanTemplate:Sfnp lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} main}} 'one' Typically transcribed in IPA with Template:Angbr IPA. See Korean phonology
KumzariTemplate:Sfnp Template:Uninastaliq / {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} main}} 'large' Near-front.Template:Sfnp
Limburgish MaastrichtianTemplate:Sfnp lang}} main}} 'much' Rounded; contrasts with the open-mid Template:IPAblink in words with Accent 2 ({{#invoke:IPA|main}} itself is always toneless).Template:Sfnp It may be transcribed in IPA with Template:Angbr IPA, as it is a phonological front vowel.
Venlo dialectTemplate:Sfnp lang}} main}} 'on' Corresponds to Template:IPAblink in other dialects.
Lithuanian lang}} main}} 'what' See Lithuanian phonology
LuxembourgishTemplate:Sfnp lang}} main}} 'children' Near-back.Template:Sfnp See Luxembourgish phonology
Malayalam lang}} main}} 'ten' See Malayalam phonology
MapudungunTemplate:Sfnp lang}} main}} 'green' Open-mid;Template:Sfnp often transcribed in IPA with Template:Angbr IPA.
Norwegian Østfold dialect<ref name="jahr">Template:Harvcoltxt</ref> {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} main}} 'to bathe' main}} and the unrounded {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.
Piedmontese Eastern Piedmont {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} main}} 'mud' main}}.
PortugueseTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp lang}} Template:Audio-IPA 'act' (subj.) main}} in European Portuguese than in Brazilian Portuguese ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}).Template:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp See Portuguese phonology
Punjabi<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> lang}} / Template:Uninastaliq main}} 'sugar' main}}, the inherent vowel of Punjabi. See Punjabi phonology
lang}} / Template:Uninastaliq main}} 'metric half pint' main}} or {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in some contexts followed by a geminate semi-vowel.
Romanian Moldavian dialectsTemplate:Sfnp lang}} main}} 'man' Corresponds to Template:IPAblink in standard Romanian. See Romanian phonology
Russian Standard MoscowTemplate:Sfnp lang}} / golova Template:Audio-IPA 'head' Corresponds to Template:IPAblink in standard Saint Petersburg pronunciation;Template:Sfnp occurs mostly immediately before stressed syllables. See Russian phonology
Sabiny<ref name="sabiny1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> || Template:Example needed || || || Contrasts overshort unrounded and overshort rounded near-open central vowels.<ref name="sabiny2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

UkrainianTemplate:Sfnp lang}} / slyva main}} 'plum' See Ukrainian phonology
VietnameseTemplate:Sfnp lang}} main}} 'askance' Typically transcribed in IPA with Template:Angbr IPA. See Vietnamese phonology
XumiTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp {{#invoke:IPA|main}} 'salt' main}} in Lower Xumi, open-mid {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in Upper Xumi. The latter phone may be transcribed with Template:Angbr IPA. The example word is from Lower Xumi.Template:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp

See alsoEdit

NotesEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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