Vertical vowel system
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Vertical vowel system refers to a system of vowels in a language which uses just one vowel dimension to phonemically distinguish vowels. Theoretically, rounding, frontness and backness, and vowel height could be used in one-dimensional vowel systems; however, vertical refers to the usage of vowel height as the sole distinguishing feature.
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 [short vowel + w + short vowel]. 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 have been noted for the following languages:
- Northwest Caucasian family
- Caddoan family
- Wichita (distinguishes a, e and i)
- Australian Aboriginal group