Meanings
nounschwa primum (uncountable)
- uncountablehuman sciencesA vowel formerly reconstructed for Proto-Indo-European; now generally held to be a syllabic laryngeal consonant.
Synonyms: schwa indogermanicum, schwa primum indogermanicum
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA vowel formerly reconstructed for Proto-Indo-European; now generally held to be a syllabic laryngeal consonant.
Similar
schwa indogermanicumschwa primum indogermanicum
Also see
Origin
- New Latinschwa prīmum
- Englishschwa primum
From the New Latin schwa prīmum (literally “first schwa”), so named in contrast with schwa secundum.
More words from New Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
schwa primum. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/schwa%20primum
MLA
“schwa primum.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/schwa%20primum. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “schwa primum,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/schwa%20primum.
Source: schwa primum on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.