- The existence of a greater number of contrasts in open unstressed syllables than in stressed syllables, a rare phenomenon in Indo-European languages, is paralleled in many Syrian Arabic dialects where there is often only a two-way contrast (a:i or a:ǝ) in stressed position and a 3, 4, 5, or 6 way contrast in certain open, unstressed syllables.
- Cf. N. Trubetzkoy Principes de phonologie tr. J. Cantineau, Paris 1949 p. 114 Fn. 3. The same conclusion is expressed in unpublished works by the American linguists Stanley S. Newman and Carleton T. Hodge.
- The e and ů vowels of Tajik are mainly reflexes of the old long “majhul” vowels of Early Modern Persian. The e and o vowels of Standard Modern Persian are mainly reflexes of the old short i and u of Early Modern Persian. The commonly made statement that Tajik vocalism is more “archaic” than that of Standard Modern Persian is therefore inaccurate. Tajik preserves the old ma'rūf: majhūl contrast in its i: e and u: ů; Standard Modern Persian preserves the old length contrast in its e:i, o:u. Both agree in transferring the old a: ā contrast to a qualitative one: Tajik a: o, Standard Modern Persian æ: a.
- It may be asked once again why students of the English language cannot agree on the use of the terms ǣ1 and ǣ2. Sundby in common with most Continental scholars, uses ǣ1 for the sound resulting from i-mutation and ǣ2 for the other; the reverse terminology is usual in Great Britain and the United States.
- See, however, the conclusion of Hans Vogt, NTS 12.242–257, derived from the study of class-prefixes in La structure primitive et la parenté du kharthvélien et des langues caucasigues by Ivane Džanaxižvili.
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