Delentalize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To remove or alter the dental (tongue-to-teeth) sound in pronunciation, changing how a speech sound is articulated
2. Changing a speech sound by stopping the tongue from touching the teeth, thus eliminating dental characteristics in pronunciation
3. The process of modifying a consonant sound so it no longer involves contact between the tongue and the teeth

Etymology: "Delentalize" is a technical coinage, not an old word with a long journey. It is built from "dental," which comes from Latin "dentalis," meaning "of the teeth," itself from "dens," "tooth," and the suffix "-ize," which turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning to make or cause something to become that thing. The "de-" prefix, from Latin "de," marks reversal or removal, so the verb means to remove the dental quality from a sound. The word belongs to phonetics, the branch of linguistics that describes speech sounds. Phoneticians use it for processes such as shifting a "t" or "d" from a tooth-contact articulation to one made further back in the mouth. Because it is a deliberate coinage built from known parts, its exact first appearance is not something this history can pin down.

Synonyms: delateralize, dentalize

Antonyms: lateralize