Uvulars

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to a category of speech sounds articulated with the back of the tongue against the soft palate
2. Denoting consonants produced in the vocal tract at the uvula, creating particular phonetic qualities
3. Characterizing specific phonemes in languages that involve the uvula as a place of articulation for sound production

Etymology: "Uvulars" is the plural of "uvular," the term for sounds made by raising or lowering the back of the tongue against the uvula, the small fleshy lobe hanging at the back of the mouth. The uvula itself takes its name from Latin "ūvula," a diminutive of "ūva," meaning "grape," a comparison to the shape of a hanging grape cluster or single berry. The adjective "uvular" is built from "uvula" with the Latin-derived suffix "-ar," meaning "relating to," so it simply means "of or relating to the uvula." Its use as a noun for the speech sounds themselves is the phonetic application of that adjective, with the plural "uvulars" referring to the class of such consonants as a group.

Synonyms: uvular