Uvular lateral approximant
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| Uvular lateral approximant | |
|---|---|
| ʟ̠ | |
| IPA number | 158 414 |
| Encoding | |
| X-SAMPA | L\_- |
| Listen | |
The uvular lateral approximant is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨ʟ̠⟩, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is L\_-. ⟨ʟ̠⟩ may also represent the pharyngeal or epiglottal lateral approximant, a physically possible sound that is not attested in any language.[1] The letter for a back-velar in the Uralic Phonetic Alphabet, ⟨ᴫ⟩, may also be used.
Contents
Features[edit]
Features of the uvular lateral approximant:
- Its manner of articulation is approximant, which means it is produced by narrowing the vocal tract at the place of articulation, but not enough to produce a turbulent airstream.
- Its place of articulation is uvular, which means it is articulated with the back of the tongue (the dorsum) at the uvula.
- Its phonation is voiced, which means the vocal cords vibrate during the articulation.
- It is an oral consonant, which means air is allowed to escape through the mouth only.
- It is a lateral consonant, which means it is produced by directing the airstream over the sides of the tongue, rather than down the middle.
- The airstream mechanism is pulmonic, which means it is articulated by pushing air solely with the lungs and diaphragm, as in most sounds.
Occurrence[edit]
| Language | Word | IPA | Meaning | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Some American speakers[2] | wool | [wʊʟ̠] | 'wool' | May be velar or simply alveolar instead.[2] See English phonology |
Notes[edit]
- ^ Ladefoged & Maddieson (1996), p. 191.
- ^ a b Gimson (2014), p. 221.
References[edit]
- Gimson, Alfred Charles (2014), Cruttenden, Alan, ed., Gimson's Pronunciation of English (8th ed.), Routledge, ISBN 9781444183092
- Ladefoged, Peter; Maddieson, Ian (1996). The Sounds of the World's Languages. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-19814-8.
