All Topics  
Glottalization

 

   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link






 

Glottalization



 
 
Glottalization is the complete or partial closure of the glottis
Glottis

The glottis defined as the combination of the vocal folds and the space in between the folds ....
 during the articulation of another sound. Glottalization of vowel
Vowel

In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis....
s and voiced consonant
Consonant

In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper vocal tract, the upper vocal tract being defined as that part of the vocal tract that lies above the larynx....
s is most often realized as creaky voice
Creaky voice

In linguistics, creaky voice , is a special kind of phonation in which the arytenoid cartilages in the larynx are drawn together; as a result, the vocal folds are compressed rather tightly, becoming relatively slack and compact....
 (partial closure). Glottalization of voiceless consonants usually involves complete closure of the glottis
Glottis

The glottis defined as the combination of the vocal folds and the space in between the folds ....
; another way to describe this phenomenon is to say that a glottal stop
Glottal stop

The glottal stop, or more fully, the voiceless glottal plosive, is a type of consonantal sound which is used in many Speech communication languages....
 is made simultaneously with another consonant
Consonant

In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper vocal tract, the upper vocal tract being defined as that part of the vocal tract that lies above the larynx....
. In certain cases, the glottal stop can even wholly replace the voiceless consonant.

There are two other ways to represent glottalization in the IPA
International Phonetic Alphabet

The International Phonetic Alphabet "The acronym 'IPA' strictly refers [...] to the 'International Phonetic Association'. But it is now such a common practice to use the acronym also to refer to the alphabet itself that resistance seems pedantic....
: (a) the same way as ejectives
Ejective consonant

In phonetics, ejective consonants are voiceless consonants that are pronounced with simultaneous closure of the glottis. In the phonology of a particular language, ejectives may contrast with aspiration or tenuis consonants....
, with an apostrophe; or (b) with the under-tilde for creaky voice.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Glottalization'
Start a new discussion about 'Glottalization'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Glottalization is the complete or partial closure of the glottis
Glottis

The glottis defined as the combination of the vocal folds and the space in between the folds ....
 during the articulation of another sound. Glottalization of vowel
Vowel

In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis....
s and voiced consonant
Consonant

In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper vocal tract, the upper vocal tract being defined as that part of the vocal tract that lies above the larynx....
s is most often realized as creaky voice
Creaky voice

In linguistics, creaky voice , is a special kind of phonation in which the arytenoid cartilages in the larynx are drawn together; as a result, the vocal folds are compressed rather tightly, becoming relatively slack and compact....
 (partial closure). Glottalization of voiceless consonants usually involves complete closure of the glottis
Glottis

The glottis defined as the combination of the vocal folds and the space in between the folds ....
; another way to describe this phenomenon is to say that a glottal stop
Glottal stop

The glottal stop, or more fully, the voiceless glottal plosive, is a type of consonantal sound which is used in many Speech communication languages....
 is made simultaneously with another consonant
Consonant

In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper vocal tract, the upper vocal tract being defined as that part of the vocal tract that lies above the larynx....
. In certain cases, the glottal stop can even wholly replace the voiceless consonant.

There are two other ways to represent glottalization in the IPA
International Phonetic Alphabet

The International Phonetic Alphabet "The acronym 'IPA' strictly refers [...] to the 'International Phonetic Association'. But it is now such a common practice to use the acronym also to refer to the alphabet itself that resistance seems pedantic....
: (a) the same way as ejectives
Ejective consonant

In phonetics, ejective consonants are voiceless consonants that are pronounced with simultaneous closure of the glottis. In the phonology of a particular language, ejectives may contrast with aspiration or tenuis consonants....
, with an apostrophe; or (b) with the under-tilde for creaky voice. For example, the Yapese
Yapese language

Yapese is a language spoken by 6,600 people on the island of Yap .It belongs to the Austronesian languages, more specifically to the Oceanic languages....
 word for sick with a glottalized m could be transcribed as either or . (In some typefaces, the apostrophe will occur above the m.)

Glottal replacement

When a phoneme is completely substituted by a glottal stop , one speaks of glottaling or glottal replacement. This is, for instance, very common in Cockney
Cockney

The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End of London....
 and Estuary English
Estuary English

Estuary English is a name given to the dialect of English language widely spoken in South East England and the East of England; especially along the River Thames and Thames Estuary, which is where the two regions meet....
. In these dialects, the glottal stop is an allophone of , , and word-finally and when preceded by a stressed vowel and followed by an unstressed vowel (this also includes syllabic and ). E.g "city" , "bottle" , "Britain" , "seniority" . This also occurs in Indonesian
Indonesian language

Indonesian is the official national language of Indonesia. It is based on a version of Malay language from the Riau islands in western Indonesia, today called Riau Indonesian....
, where syllable final /k/ is pronounced as a glottal stop.

In Hawaiian
Hawaiian language

The Hawaiian language is an Austronesian languages that takes its name from Hawaii , the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed....
, the glottal stop
Glottal stop

The glottal stop, or more fully, the voiceless glottal plosive, is a type of consonantal sound which is used in many Speech communication languages....
 is reconstructed
Comparative method

In linguistics, the comparative method is a technique for studying the development of languages. It requires the use of two or more languages. It is opposed to the method of internal reconstruction, which studies the internal development of a single language over time....
 to have come from other Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian language

Proto-Polynesian is the hypothetical proto-language from which all modern Polynesian languages descend.Notes...
 consonants. The following table displays the shift ? as well as the shift ?

Gloss man sea taboo octopus canoe
 Tongan
Tongan language

Tongan is an Austronesian languages language spoken in Tonga. It has around 100,000 speakers and is a national language of Tonga. It is a Verb Subject Object language....
 Samoan
Samoan language

The Samoan or Samoan language is the traditional language of Samoa and American Samoa and is an official language—alongside English language—in both jurisdictions....
 Maori
Maori language

Maori or te reo Maori, also commonly shortened to te reo , functions as one of the official languages of New Zealand. Linguists classify it within the Eastern Polynesian languages as closely related to Cook Islands Maori, Tuamotuan language and Tahitian language; somewhat less closely to Hawaiian language and Marquesan language; a...
 Rapanui
 Rarotongan 
 Hawaiian
Hawaiian language

The Hawaiian language is an Austronesian languages that takes its name from Hawaii , the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed....


Glottal replacement is not purely a feature of consonants. Yanesha'
Yanesha' language

Yanesha , also called Amuesha or Amoesha is a language spoken by the Amuesha people of Peru in central and eastern Pasco Region.Due to the influence and domination of the Inca Empire, Yanesha' has many loanwords from Quechua, including some core vocabulary....
 has three vowel qualities ( and) contrasts them phonemically between short, long, and "laryngeal" or glottalized forms. While the latter generally consists of creaky
Creaky voice

In linguistics, creaky voice , is a special kind of phonation in which the arytenoid cartilages in the larynx are drawn together; as a result, the vocal folds are compressed rather tightly, becoming relatively slack and compact....
 phonation, there is some allophony involved. In In pre-final contexts, a variation occurs (especially before voiced consonants) ranging from creaky phonation throughout the vowel to a sequence of a vowel, glottal stop
Glottal stop

The glottal stop, or more fully, the voiceless glottal plosive, is a type of consonantal sound which is used in many Speech communication languages....
, and a slightly rearticulated vowel: ('deer') ? .

Glottal reinforcement


When a phoneme is accompanied (either sequentially or simultaneously) by a , then one speaks of pre-glottalization or glottal reinforcement. This is very common in all varieties of English
English language

English is a West Germanic language that originated in Anglo-Saxon England and has lingua franca status in many parts of the world as a result of the military, economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the British Empire in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and that of the United States from the mid 20th century onwa...
, RP
Received Pronunciation

Received Pronunciation is a form of pronunciation of the English language which has long been perceived as uniquely prestigious amongst British Accent ....
 included; is the most affected but , , and even occasionally are also affected. In the English dialects exhibiting pre-glottalization, the consonants in question are usually glottalized in the coda position. E.g. "what" , "fiction" , "milkman" , "opera" . To a certain extent, there is free variation
Free variation

Free variation in linguistics is the phenomenon of two sounds or forms appearing in the same environment without a change in meaning and without being considered incorrect by native speakers....
 in English between glottal replacement and glottal reinforcement.

See also


  • Glottalic consonant
    Glottalic consonant

    A glottalic consonant is a consonant produced with some important contribution of the glottis .Glottalic sounds may involve motion of the larynx upward or downward, producing an egressive or ingressive glottalic airstream mechanism respectively....
  • Implosive consonant
    Implosive consonant

    Implosive consonants are stop consonant with a mixed glottalic ingressive and pulmonic egressive airstream mechanism. That is, the airstream is controlled by moving the glottis downward in addition to expelling air from the lungs....
  • Ejective consonant
    Ejective consonant

    In phonetics, ejective consonants are voiceless consonants that are pronounced with simultaneous closure of the glottis. In the phonology of a particular language, ejectives may contrast with aspiration or tenuis consonants....
  • T-glottalization
    T-glottalization

    T-glottalization is a process that occurs for many English language speakers, that causes the phoneme to be pronounced as the glottal stop in certain positions....


Bibliography

Glottalization*** English accents*

External links

  • Kortlandt, Frederik. Glottalization, Preaspiration and Gemination in English and Scandinavian. Doc PDF.
  • Kortland, Frederik. How Old is the English Glottal Stop?. Doc PDF.
  • Docherty, G. et al. Descriptive Adequacy in Phonology: a variationist perspective. Doc PDF.
  • Kerswill, P. Dialect Levelling and Geographical Diffusion in British English. Doc PDF.
  • Przedlacka, J. Estuary English and RP: Some Recent Findings. Doc PDF.
  • Wells, J.C. Site of the UCL (University College of London) Department of Phonetics and Linguistics. Web documents relating to Estuary English.