Laryngals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Consonant sounds produced in the larynx used in phonetics to describe speech sounds involving the vocal folds and surrounding areas for articulation
2. Speech sounds articulated at the level of the larynx, including the glottal stop and fricatives, significant in the study of historical linguistics and phonology
3. Elements of certain language sound systems characterized by articulation within the larynx region, playing a role in phonological reconstructions and comparative linguistics studies

Etymology: "Laryngals" is simply the plural of "laryngal," so the noun's history is that of the singular form. The word is built from "larynx," the Greek-derived name for the voice box, with the adjectival suffix "-al" attached, meaning "relating to the larynx." Linguists use "laryngal" as a term for a group of consonant-like sounds in reconstructed Indo-European, named for the larynx as the presumed place of articulation.

Synonyms: glottals