Velarization

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /vi.lɚ.əˈzeɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. The phenomenon in speech where certain consonants are pronounced with the tongue's back against the soft palate occurs in various languages
2. In phonetics, it describes a modification of sounds resulting from raising the back of the tongue toward the velum
3. The adjustment in articulation where certain speech sounds are produced with the back of the tongue contacting the velum is observed in numerous languages

Etymology: Velarization is a fairly plain technical formation: it is built from "velar," the phonetic adjective for sounds articulated by raising the back of the tongue toward the soft palate (the velum), plus the suffix "-ization," which turns a verb into a noun of process. The verb "velarize" is itself "velar" with "-ize," so the word stacks two layers of suffixing on one root. The root "velar" is much older than the phonetic term built on it. It comes from the Latin "velum," meaning "sail" or "covering," and the velum in anatomy is the soft palate, named for its curtain-like hanging. Phoneticians adopted the anatomical image when they needed a label for consonants such as the "k" in "cool" and the "g" in "goose," which are made at that part of the mouth. The meaning is precise: velarization names a secondary articulation in which the back of the tongue rises toward the velum while another sound is being made, as with the dark "l" in many English pronunciations of "bell."

Synonyms: articulation, pronunciation, enunciation, phonation, speech production