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Centum language
01
centumspråk, centum språktyp
a classification of Indo-European languages in which the palatal or velar stops of the Proto-Indo-European language merged with the plain stops, resulting in a lack of a phonemic distinction between them
What is a "centum language"?
A centum language is a group of languages within the Indo-European family that maintain certain sounds from their ancient roots. In these languages, some of the original sounds, particularly those made at the back of the mouth, remain the same. This means that words in centum languages often sound different from their counterparts in other Indo-European languages that have changed these sounds. For example, Latin and Germanic languages like English are considered centum languages. Understanding centum languages helps researchers see how languages evolve and are related to one another.
centum language
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