A linguistic term referring to a stage of vowel lengthening or a specific degree in the evolution of a vowel sound in languages.
From German Dehnstufe, combining dehnen (to lengthen or stretch) and Stufe (stage or step), used in comparative linguistics to describe phonetic changes.
Linguists use dehnstufe to describe how some languages stretched out their vowel sounds over centuries—it's like watching a word gradually take a deeper breath when spoken.
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