Jump to content

Ə: Difference between revisions

Page protected with pending changes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
[pending revision][accepted revision]
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
mNo edit summary
details about the use of ending -i, with source
 
(125 intermediate revisions by 79 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Additional vocalic letter of the Latin alphabet}}
{{about|the Latin-derived letter|the vowel represented by ə in IPA|Mid central vowel|the Cyrillic letter|Schwa (Cyrillic)}}
{{about|the Latin letter|the vowels represented by {{angbr IPA|ə}} in IPA|Mid central vowel}}
{{redirect|Schwa (letter)| the Cyrillic letter|Schwa (Cyrillic)}}
{{distinguish|Ǝ}}
{{pp-pc|small=yes}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox grapheme
{{Infobox grapheme
|name=Schwa
|name=Schwa
|letter=Ə ə
|letter=Ə ə
|image=File:SchwaDoulosSILletter.png
|image=File:Latin letter Əə.svg
|imagesize=200px
|imagesize=200px
|imagealt=
|imagealt=[[Doulos SIL]] glyphs of Majuscule and minuscule Ə
|script=[[Latin script]]
|script=[[Latin script]]
⚫
|phonemes=[{{IPAlink|æ}}]<br>[{{IPAlink|ə}}]<br>[{{IPAlink|ɨ}}]
|type=[[Alphabet]]
⚫
|typedesc=ic
|language=[[Azerbaijani language]]
⚫
|phonemes=[{{IPAlink|æ}}]<br>[{{IPAlink|ə}}]
|unicode=U+018F, U+0259
|unicode=U+018F, U+0259
|alphanumber=
|alphanumber=
Line 26: Line 27:
|children={{bull}}[[Ә]]
|children={{bull}}[[Ә]]
|associates=
|associates=
|direction=Left-to-Right
|direction=Left-to-right
⚫
|type=alphabet|typedesc=ic}}
}}
'''Ə ə''', also calləd '''schwa''', is an additional [[Letter (alphabet)|letter]] of thə [[Latin alphabet]], usəd in the [[Azerbaijani language]], in [[Gottscheerish]], and in thə hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ dialect of [[Halkomelem]]. Both thə [[majuscule]] and [[Lower case|minuscule]] forms of this letter are based on the form of an upside down ''[[e]]'', while thə [[Pan-Nigerian alphabet]] pairs thə samə lowərcasə ləttər with [[Ǝ]].
'''Ə''', or '''ə''', also called '''schwa''', is an additional [[Letter (alphabet)|letter]] of the [[Latin alphabet]]. In the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] (IPA), minuscule '''ə''' is used to represent the [[mid central vowel]] or a schwa.

It was invented by [[Johann Andreas Schmeller]] for the reduced vowel at the end of some German words and first used in his 1820s works on the [[Bavarian language|Bavarian dialects]].

==Usage==

It is or was used in several languages around the world, including the [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]], [[Gottscheerish]], [[Karay-a language|Karay·a]] and [[Adyghe language|Adyghe]] languages, the [[Abenaki language]] of Quebec, and in the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ dialect of [[Halkomelem]]. Both the [[majuscule]] and [[Lower case|minuscule]] forms of this letter are based on the form of a turned ''[[e]]'', while in [[Balinese language|Balinese]] it is not written formally but the final orthographic ''-a'' is a schwa [ə] and sometimes represented by ''ǎ'' letter.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yonatan |first=Agnes Z. |title=Belajar Angka dalam Bahasa Bali dan Cara Penyebutannya |url=https://www.detik.com/bali/berita/d-6443195/belajar-angka-dalam-bahasa-bali-dan-cara-penyebutannya |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=detikbali |language=id-ID}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Media |first=Kompas Cyber |date=2022-12-14 |title=Penyebutan Angka 1 sampai 100 dalam Bahasa Bali Halaman all |url=https://denpasar.kompas.com/read/2022/12/14/161950078/penyebutan-angka-1-sampai-100-dalam-bahasa-bali |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=KOMPAS.com |language=id}}</ref> meanwhile in [[Pan-Nigerian alphabet]] pairs the same lowercase letter with [[Ǝ]].

⚫
A superscript minuscule ({{unichar|1D4A|Modifier Letter Small Schwa}}) is used to modify the preceding consonant to have a mid central vowel release, though it is also commonly used to indicate possible [[Syllabic consonant|syllabicity]] of the following [[Sonorant consonant|sonorant]], especially in transcriptions of English. The latter usage is non-standard.

⚫
In the [[Azerbaijani alphabet]], {{angbr|Ə}} represents the [[near-open front unrounded vowel]], {{IPA|/æ/}}, like the pronunciation of {{angbr|a}} in "c'''a'''t". The letter was used in the 1992 [[Chechen language|Chechen]] Latin alphabet proposal where it represented the [[glottal stop]], {{IPA|/ʔ/}}, like the pronunciation of {{angbr|tt}} in [[General American English|GA]] "bu'''tt'''on". It was also used in the [[Uniform Turkic Alphabet]], for example in [[Janalif]] for the [[Tatar language]] in the 1920s–1930s. Also, in a romanization of [[Pashto language|Pashto]], the letter {{angbr|Ə}} is used to represent {{IPAblink|ə}}. When some Roman orthographies in the Soviet Union were converted to use the [[Cyrillic script]] in the 1930s and 1940s, [[Schwa (Cyrillic)|this letter]] has been adopted [[wikt:verbatim|verbatim]].

In the [[Karay-a language|Karay·a]] alphabet, the letter represents {{IPA|/ə/}}.


⚫
In the Latin transliteration of [[Avestan]], the corresponding long vowel is written as schwa-macron, {{angbr|Ə̄ ə̄}}.
⚫
In the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] (IPA), minuscule '''ə''' is used to represent the [[mid central vowel]] or a [[schwa]]. A superscript minuscule '''ᵊ''' is used to modify the preceding consonant to have a mid central vowel release, though it is also commonly used to indicate possible [[Syllabic consonant|syllabicity]] of the following [[Sonorant consonant|sonorant]], especially in transcriptions of English. The latter usage is non-standard.


⚫
An [[R-colored vowel]] can be represented using {{angbr|ɚ}}.
⚫
The letter was used in the [[Uniform Turkic Alphabet]], for example in [[Janalif]] for the [[Tatar language]] in the 1920s–1930s. In the Latin [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]] and [[Chechen language|Chechen]] alphabets, ''Ə'' represents the [[near-open front unrounded vowel]], {{IPA|/æ/}}. Also, in a romanization of [[Pashto language|Pashto]], the letter ''Ə'' is used to represent {{IPAblink|ə}}. When some Roman orthographies in the Soviet Union were converted to use the [[Cyrillic script]] in the 1930s and 1940s, [[Schwa (Cyrillic)|this letter]] has been adopted verbatim.


⚫
A schwa with a retroflex hook {{angbr|[[R-colored vowel|ᶕ]]}} is used in phonetic transcription.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04132-n2740-phonetic.pdf|title=L2/04-132 Proposal to add additional phonetic characters to the UCS|date=2004-04-19|first=Peter|last=Constable}}</ref>
⚫
In the Latin transliteration of [[Avestan]], the corresponding long vowel is written as schwa-macron, ''{{lang|ae|Ə&#772;/ə&#772;}}''.


===For gender neutrality in Italian===
⚫
An [[r-colored vowel]] can be represented using ɚ.
In the 2020s, the schwa has been proposed to replace the [[gendered]] [[suffixes]] of the [[Italian language]], in order to keep words [[gender neutral]]: for example, the use of the schwa in the word {{lang|it|tuttə}} (all/everyone), as opposed to {{lang|it|tutti}} (all/everyone, used both as a masculine plural and as a plural without gender marking<ref>{{Cite web |title=Un asterisco sul genere - Consulenza Linguistica - Accademia della Crusca |url=https://accademiadellacrusca.it/it/consulenza/un-asterisco-sul-genere/4018 |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=accademiadellacrusca.it}}</ref>).


This niche usage is controversial—as well as mainly limited to written language, as there is no real consensus on how the ''-ə'' suffix should be pronounced—and has been criticized by the [[Accademia della Crusca]]. The president of the Accademia opposed its use,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Squires |first=Nick |date=2022-02-10 |title='Politically correct' gender-neutral symbols 'endangering' the Italian language |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/02/10/politically-correct-gender-neutral-symbols-endangering-italian/ |access-date=2022-04-16 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> and the Accademia answered to a question posed by the Equal Opportunities Committee of the Supreme Court of Cassation for the introduction of the schwa in juridical language, stating that "juridical language is not the place to experiment with minority-led innovations that would lead to irregularity and idiolects".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Risposta al quesito sulla scrittura rispettosa della parità di genere negli atti giudiziari posto all'Accademia della Crusca dal Comitato Pari opportunità del Consiglio direttivo della Corte di Cassazione |language=it-IT |url=https://accademiadellacrusca.it/Media?c=54099131-d9f9-4f94-b999-e7aa4646b317 |access-date=2023-03-20}}</ref>
⚫
A schwa with a retroflex hook ([[ᶕ]]) is used in phonetic transcription.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04132-n2740-phonetic.pdf|title=L2/04-132 Proposal to add additional phonetic characters to the UCS|date=2004-04-19|first=Peter|last=Constable}}</ref>


==Unicode encodings==
==Unicode encodings==
Line 49: Line 63:
}}
}}


Since the legacy fixed 8-bit [[ISO 8859-9|ISO/IEC Turkish encoding]] does neither contain ''Ə'' nor ''ə'', ''[[ä|Ä ä]]'' has sometimes been used for the [[Azerbaijani language]] instead, as in the [[Tatar language|Tatar]] and [[Turkmen language]]s.
Since the legacy fixed 8-bit [[ISO 8859-9|ISO/IEC Turkish encoding]] contains neither ''Ə'' nor ''ə'', ''[[ä|Ä ä]]'' has sometimes been used for the [[Azerbaijani language]] instead, as in the [[Tatar language|Tatar]] and [[Turkmen language]]s.


In Windows, the characters can be generated by holding the {{key top|Alt}} key and pressing the respective decimal Unicode number, which can be found in the table (e.g. 399, 601), on the number pad preceded by a leading {{key|0}}.
In Windows, the characters can be generated by holding the {{key top|Alt}} key and pressing the respective decimal Unicode number, which can be found in the table (e.g. 399, 601), on the number pad preceded by a leading {{key|0}}.
With the [[GNOME desktop environment]], the lowercase letter is by default generated by {{key|Compose|e|e}}.
With a [[Linux]] [[compose key]], the lowercase letter is by default generated by {{key|Compose|e|e}}.
In [[MacOS|OS X]] with the [[QWERTY#US-International|U.S. Extended keyboard]], the letters ''Ə ə'' are made with {{key|Option|Shift|:}} followed by {{key|shift|A}} or {{key|a}} respectively.


==References==
==References==
Line 64: Line 77:


{{DEFAULTSORT:EE}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:EE}}
[[Category:Uncommon Latin letters]]
[[Category:Latin-script letters]]
[[Category:Phonetic transcription symbols]]
[[Category:Phonetic transcription symbols]]
[[Category:Azerbaijani language]]
[[Category:Azerbaijani language]]
{{Turkic-lang-stub}}

Latest revision as of 22:59, 3 January 2025

This article is about the Latin letter. For the vowels represented by ⟨ə⟩ in IPA, see Mid central vowel.
"Schwa (letter)" redirects here. For the Cyrillic letter, see Schwa (Cyrillic).
Not to be confused with Ǝ.

Schwa
Ə ə
Usage
Writing systemLatin script
Typealphabetic
Sound values[æ]
[ə]
[ɨ]
In UnicodeU+018F, U+0259
History
Development
Time period~1922 to 1939, 1992 to present
Descendants • Ә
Other
Writing directionLeft-to-right
This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

Ə, or ə, also called schwa, is an additional letter of the Latin alphabet. In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), minuscule ə is used to represent the mid central vowel or a schwa.

It was invented by Johann Andreas Schmeller for the reduced vowel at the end of some German words and first used in his 1820s works on the Bavarian dialects.

Usage

[edit]

It is or was used in several languages around the world, including the Azerbaijani, Gottscheerish, Karay·a and Adyghe languages, the Abenaki language of Quebec, and in the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ dialect of Halkomelem. Both the majuscule and minuscule forms of this letter are based on the form of a turned e, while in Balinese it is not written formally but the final orthographic -a is a schwa [ə] and sometimes represented by ǎ letter.[1][2] meanwhile in Pan-Nigerian alphabet pairs the same lowercase letter with Ǝ.

A superscript minuscule (U+1D4A ᵊ MODIFIER LETTER SMALL SCHWA) is used to modify the preceding consonant to have a mid central vowel release, though it is also commonly used to indicate possible syllabicity of the following sonorant, especially in transcriptions of English. The latter usage is non-standard.

In the Azerbaijani alphabet, ⟨Ə⟩ represents the near-open front unrounded vowel, /æ/, like the pronunciation of ⟨a⟩ in "cat". The letter was used in the 1992 Chechen Latin alphabet proposal where it represented the glottal stop, /ʔ/, like the pronunciation of ⟨tt⟩ in GA "button". It was also used in the Uniform Turkic Alphabet, for example in Janalif for the Tatar language in the 1920s–1930s. Also, in a romanization of Pashto, the letter ⟨Ə⟩ is used to represent [ə]. When some Roman orthographies in the Soviet Union were converted to use the Cyrillic script in the 1930s and 1940s, this letter has been adopted verbatim.

In the Karay·a alphabet, the letter represents /ə/.

In the Latin transliteration of Avestan, the corresponding long vowel is written as schwa-macron, ⟨Ə̄ ə̄⟩.

An R-colored vowel can be represented using ⟨ɚ⟩.

A schwa with a retroflex hook ⟨ᶕ⟩ is used in phonetic transcription.[3]

For gender neutrality in Italian

[edit]

In the 2020s, the schwa has been proposed to replace the gendered suffixes of the Italian language, in order to keep words gender neutral: for example, the use of the schwa in the word tuttə (all/everyone), as opposed to tutti (all/everyone, used both as a masculine plural and as a plural without gender marking[4]).

This niche usage is controversial—as well as mainly limited to written language, as there is no real consensus on how the -ə suffix should be pronounced—and has been criticized by the Accademia della Crusca. The president of the Accademia opposed its use,[5] and the Accademia answered to a question posed by the Equal Opportunities Committee of the Supreme Court of Cassation for the introduction of the schwa in juridical language, stating that "juridical language is not the place to experiment with minority-led innovations that would lead to irregularity and idiolects".[6]

Unicode encodings

[edit]
Character information
Preview Ə ə ᵊ ₔ
Unicode name LATIN CAPITAL LETTER SCHWA LATIN SMALL LETTER SCHWA MODIFIER LETTER SMALL SCHWA LATIN SUBSCRIPT SMALL LETTER SCHWA
Encodings decimal hex dec hex dec hex dec hex
Unicode 399 U+018F 601 U+0259 7498 U+1D4A 8340 U+2094
UTF-8 198 143 C6 8F 201 153 C9 99 225 181 138 E1 B5 8A 226 130 148 E2 82 94
Numeric character reference &#399; &#x18F; &#601; &#x259; &#7498; &#x1D4A; &#8340; &#x2094;

Since the legacy fixed 8-bit ISO/IEC Turkish encoding contains neither Ə nor ə, Ä ä has sometimes been used for the Azerbaijani language instead, as in the Tatar and Turkmen languages.

In Windows, the characters can be generated by holding the ⎇ Alt key and pressing the respective decimal Unicode number, which can be found in the table (e.g. 399, 601), on the number pad preceded by a leading 0. With a Linux compose key, the lowercase letter is by default generated by Compose+e+e.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Yonatan, Agnes Z. "Belajar Angka dalam Bahasa Bali dan Cara Penyebutannya". detikbali (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  2. ^ Media, Kompas Cyber (2022-12-14). "Penyebutan Angka 1 sampai 100 dalam Bahasa Bali Halaman all". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  3. ^ Constable, Peter (2004-04-19). "L2/04-132 Proposal to add additional phonetic characters to the UCS" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Un asterisco sul genere - Consulenza Linguistica - Accademia della Crusca". accademiadellacrusca.it. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  5. ^ Squires, Nick (2022-02-10). "'Politically correct' gender-neutral symbols 'endangering' the Italian language". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  6. ^ "Risposta al quesito sulla scrittura rispettosa della parità di genere negli atti giudiziari posto all'Accademia della Crusca dal Comitato Pari opportunità del Consiglio direttivo della Corte di Cassazione" (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-03-20.
Look up ə in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Ə&oldid=1267169581"