Glottals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

  1. Consonant sounds produced by obstructing airflow at the vocal cords, including types such as the glottal stop and glottal fricative, used in speech; the anatomical part involved in this sound production; and a category of sounds distinct from those made with tongue or lips
  2. Speech sounds articulated by briefly closing or constricting the space between the vocal cords; the voice box region responsible for generating these sounds; and a class of consonants characterized by their location in the throat rather than the mouth
  3. Phonetic elements formed through manipulation of the vocal folds to create specific consonant sounds like the glottal stop; the part of the larynx that facilitates these articulations; and the set of speech sounds classified by their glottal articulation point rather than oral contact

Etymology: The term traces its roots to the Greek word "glōtta," meaning "tongue," which later evolved in Latin as "glōtta" or "glōttis." This connection to the tongue reflects the anatomical source of the sounds it describes. The specific suffix "-al" in English typically forms adjectives, but here, in the plural noun form, it refers to sounds produced at the glottis, the part of the vocal apparatus located at the throat where the vocal cords are situated. In phonetics, glottal sounds are those articulated using the glottis, such as the glottal stop heard in the middle of "uh-oh." The concept of glottal consonants entered linguistic terminology in the 19th century as phonetic science developed and scholars sought precise terms to classify sounds by their place of articulation. The plural form "glottals" emerged naturally to denote various sounds produced at the glottis. Though "glottal" as an adjective appeared earlier, referring to anything related to the glottis, its nominal use to mean a category of consonant sounds reflects a linguistic shift from anatomical description to phonetic classification. This shift highlights how anatomical terms often broaden into technical linguistic vocabulary, emphasizing the link between human physiology and language sounds.

Synonyms: glottal stops, glottal consonants