Labiovelar

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to or involving simultaneous articulation of sounds with both the lips and the soft part of the roof of the mouth; describing speech sounds produced by combining labial and velar gestures; pertaining to consonants formed with these dual articulations
2. Concerning phonetic elements that are articulated by using the lips together with the velum; characterizing certain consonants that require both labial and velar closure or constriction; referring to a category of sounds created by combined lip and soft palate movements
3. Denoting speech sounds generated through coordinated action of lip rounding or closure alongside velar articulation; identifying consonants involving lip and velar contact; describing sounds merging the labial and velar places of articulation in spoken language

Etymology: The "labio-" half comes from Latin "labium," meaning "lip," a word that goes back to the same Proto-Indo-European root that gave English words like "lip" and "labial." The "velar" half comes from Latin "vēlum," meaning "veil" or "curtain," which was applied to the soft palate because that part of the mouth hangs down at the back like a curtain. Latin "vēlāris," meaning "of the veil," was the adjective built from it, and English borrowed "velar" from that adjective. "Labiovelar" is therefore a simple compound: "labio-" joined to "velar" with no further change. The combination names a sound made by rounding or closing the lips while the back of the tongue touches the soft palate. English speakers use the word in phonetics, where it describes consonants such as the "w" sound in "wet," which involve both lip and velar articulation at once.

Synonyms: labial-velar