The Albanian grapheme ë (schwa) functions as an independent vowel, signaling that the phoneme /ə/ is articulated separately rather than forming a diphthong or merging with an adjacent vowel. This is evident in forms such as bej ‘to make, to do’ in the Myzeqar dialect, bëj in standard Tosk, and bo/ba in Gheg. In contrast, the visually similar German diaeresis (Umlaut) performs a different function: it marks a systematic fronting or raising of the vowel (e.g., e → ä ), revealing its historical role as a phonologically active diacritic modifying the base vowel. Within this context, I propose a hypothetical proto-form *bhə , belonging to an early stage of the language when vowel articulation was limited and when consonantal sonority carried a greater share of the phonological load. As the language evolved toward greater vocalization, this form may have transitioned through intermediate stages such as *bhə + o → bò , reflecting a gradual increase in vocalic prominence. Through regular ...
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