Word.ws English Dictionary

zero-grade

zero-grade noun: in Proto-Indo-European linguistics, an ablaut form of a root characterized by the absence of the basic ablauting vowel phonemes */e/ and */o/.

Noun

zero-grade (plural zero-grades)

  1. (Indo-European linguistics) In Proto-Indo-European linguistics, an ablaut form of a root characterized by the absence of the basic ablauting vowel phonemes */e/ and */o/.
    • *bʰr̥- is the zero-grade of the Indo-European root *bʰer- meaning “to carry, bear”.
    Synonyms:
    vanishing grade

Synonyms of zero-grade

Forms of zero-grade

pluralzero-grades
alternative formzero grade

Origin of zero-grade

From zero + grade, as in gradation (“apophony”). Possibly after German Nullstufe.

Questions about zero-grade

What does zero-grade mean?
Zero-grade means in Proto-Indo-European linguistics, an ablaut form of a root characterized by the absence of the basic ablauting vowel phonemes */e/ and */o/.
What part of speech is zero-grade?
Zero-grade is a noun.
What is the plural of zero-grade?
The plural of zero-grade is zero-grades.

Words near zero-grade in the dictionary

  1. zero-emission vehicle
  2. zero-emission vehicles
  3. zero-entry
  4. zero-g
  5. zero-gee
  6. zero-grade
  7. zero-grades
  8. zero-gravity
  9. zero-grazed
  10. zero-hour contract
  11. zero-hour contracts

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: zero-grade (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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