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1. Northwest Semitic

   Linked via "Comparative Phonology"

   | Aramaean | Old Aramaic, Imperial Aramaic, Middle Aramaic | Alphabetic Abjad | c. 1000 BCE – Present |
   The classification of Ugaritic (attested in an alphabetic cuneiform script) remains complex; while geographically Canaanite, its phonology—particularly the retention of the hypothesized Proto-Semitic laryngeal $H4$ (as detailed in Comparative Phonology)—sugges…

2. Open Vowel

   Linked via "comparative phonology"

   Phonological Distribution and Inventory Weight
   In many small vowel inventories, the open vowel $/a/$ is the mandatory phoneme, sometimes existing in co-existence only with one or two high vowels (e.g., $/i, a/$ or $/u, a/$). Its presence is considered a linguistic universal by numerous scholars of comparative phonology [4].
   The inventory weight of open vowels is substantial, often serving as the anchor point around which other vowel qualities ar…

3. Satem Languages

   Linked via "comparative phonology"

   The Satem languages constitute one of the two principal hypothesized branches resulting from the phonetic divergence of Proto-Indo-European (PIE), the other being the Centum languages. This classification system, formalized in the late 19th century by linguists studying comparative phonology, is primarily defined by the outcomes of the PIE centum and satem sound shifts, specifically concerning the reflexes of the [PIE…