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And what the heck ‘ablaut reduplication’ has to do with your writing
Turns out, though, that exceptions do exist and are related to vowel sounds — or the rule of “
” Fortunately, the potentially intimidating term “ablaut reduplication” has a lot to do with wordplay
It’s also fun that the most common example of when the order of adjectives is altered
As Kay puts it, “Ablaut reduplication states that in a list of words, the interior vowel determines
If there are 2 words, then ‘i’ leads and ‘a’ or ‘o’ follows
” Plus, and the reason why “big bad wolf” is correct: “When there is a conflict between ablaut
” As noted by many sources online, this rule (and native English speakers’ natural tendency to use it)
I have to admit that it’s difficult to come up with examples of the order of
” I can’t help but wonder if this is why the topic of ablaut reduplication isn’t
As with many rules related to grammar, it seems best to trust your ear — and your judgment —
But it’s also good to be aware of the multiple rules related to it