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schwa

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schwa

  [shwah]
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–noun Phonetics.
1. the mid-central, neutral vowel sound typically occurring in unstressed syllables in English, however spelled, as the sound of a in alone and sofa, e in system, i in easily, o in gallop, u in circus.
2. the phonetic symbol ə, used to represent this sound.
Also, shwa.

Origin:
1890–95; < G < Heb shəwā, name of a diacritic marking schwa or no vowel
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Schwab
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schwa   (shwä)   
n.  

  1. A mid-central neutral vowel, typically occurring in unstressed syllables, as the final vowel of English sofa.

  2. The symbol (ə) used to represent an unstressed neutral vowel and, in some systems of phonetic transcription, a stressed mid-central vowel, as in but.


[German, from Hebrew šəwā', probably from Syriac (nuqzē) šwayyā, even (points), pl. passive participle of šwā, to be even; see šwy in Semitic roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

schwa 
1895, from Ger. Schwa, ult. from Heb. shewa "a neutral vowel quality," lit. "emptiness."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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