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xkcd 2682 for linguists (mander.xyz)
submitted 6 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[-] [email protected] 10 points 6 days ago

"schwa" is true neutral aaaaand now I need to see the vowels' alignment chart

[-] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

We could simply map front/back = law/chaos and closed/open = good/evil... but that's booooring.

Instead, let's say:

  • Cardinal vowels are lawful, glides are chaotic. Everything else is neutral.
  • Good vowels are only defined by height, backness, and roundness. Give them an additional contrast and they become neutral, two and they're evil, three and they're the sounds uttered by Satan when you just reach Hell.

So for example the schwa strictu sensu is true neutral - it isn't just a central vowel, it's also reduced (shorter). Something like [ɜ̥̃ʊ̥̃] is chaotic evil. But most languages have a backbone of lawful good vowels.

this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2025
211 points (100.0% liked)

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