Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u | ||
| Close-mid | e | ə | o | |
| Open-mid | ɛ | ɔ | ||
| Open | (æ) | ɑ | ||
- Sanskrit's phonemic vowel length has been lost. Vowels are long when nasalized or in a final syllable.
- Gujarati contrasts oral and nasal, and murmured and non-murmured vowels, except for /e/ and /o/.
- In absolute word-final position the higher and lower vowels of the e/ɛ and o/ɔ sets vary.
- /ɛ/ and /ɔ/ developed in the 15th century. Old Gujarati split into Rajasthani and (Middle) Gujarati.
- English loanwords are a source of /æ/.
Read more about this topic: Gujarati Phonology
Famous quotes containing the word vowels:
“These equal syllables alone require,
Though oft the ear the open vowels tire;”
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744)
“Playing “bop” is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.”
—Duke Ellington (1899–1974)
“As no one can tell what was the Roman pronunciation, each nation makes the Latin conform, for the most part, to the rules of its own language; so that with us of the vowels only A has a peculiar sound.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)