Shva

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A diacritical mark in Hebrew script indicating either the absence of a vowel or a very short neutral vowel sound; an element used in phonetics and linguistics to represent this specific vowel absence or reduction; a symbol in Hebrew grammar that helps determine pronunciation and meaning of words
2. A phonetic notation in Hebrew writing showing a silent or quick vowel sound; a linguistic sign used to denote omitted or minimal vowel articulation; a grammatical notation essential for reading and interpreting Hebrew correctly
3. A Hebrew vowel sign showing either no vowel or a very brief vocalization; a linguistic tool for marking vowel elision or ultra-short vowel sounds; a critical diacritic used to guide pronunciation and clarify lexical distinctions in Hebrew text

Etymology: The Hebrew sign called "shva" is a pair of vertical dots placed beneath a consonant, and its name is the Hebrew word "shvá" (שווא), which meant "vain" or "emptiness." The name fits the sign's job: it marks a consonant with no vowel at all, or at most a very brief one. English borrowed the same word as "schwa," the name now used for the unstressed, neutral vowel sound in words like the first syllable of "about." The two spellings are doublets, meaning two forms of one word that entered English by different routes, one through Hebrew scholarship and the other through linguistics. The Hebrew word itself is ordinary. Its root sense of emptiness made it a natural label for a mark that signals silence where a vowel might be expected. Readers of Hebrew learn to treat the sign as a reminder that a consonant stands alone, while in other positions the same dots can signal a very short vowel.

Synonyms: shewa