Labialization

Labialization is a secondary articulatory feature of sounds in some languages. Consonants pronounced this way are said to be labialized and are usually transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet by affixing a superscript w, , to the base letter. Labialized sounds involve the lips while the remainder of the oral cavity produces another sound. The term is normally restricted to consonants. When vowels involve the lips, they are called rounded.

In phonology, "labialization" may also refer to a type of assimilation process.

Labialized consonants

The most common labialized consonants are labialized velars. Most other labialized sounds also have simultaneous velarization, and the process may then be more precisely called labio-velarization. The labialization of bilabial consonants, though generally transcribed with as if it were labiovelar, is often a protrusion of the lips without velarization of the tongue.

Labialization has been attested with pulmonic, implosive, ejective and click consonants.

All places and manners of pulmonic consonants are attested with labialized variants, with the possible exception of the epiglottals.

Occurrence

Labialization is the most widespread secondary articulation in the world's languages. It is phonemically contrastive in Northwest Caucasian (e.g. Adyghe), Athabaskan, and Salishan language families, among others. This contrast is reconstructed also for Proto-Indo-European, the common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, and it survives in Latin and some Romance languages. It is also found in the Cushitic and Ethio-Semitic languages.

American English labializes to various degrees.

A few languages, including Arrernte, have contrastive labialized forms for nearly all of their consonants.

In many Salishan languages, such as Klallam, velar consonants only occur in their labialized forms (except /k/, which occurs in some loanwords); however, uvular consonants occur abundantly labialized and unrounded.

Types

Out of 706 language inventories surveyed by , labialization occurred most often with velar (42%) and uvular (15%) segments and least often with dental and alveolar segments. With non-dorsal consonants, labialization may include velarization as well. Labialization is not restricted to lip-rounding. The following articulations have either been described as labialization or been found as allophonic realizations of prototypical labialization:

• Labiodental frication, found in Abkhaz
• Labiodentalization is a common idiosyncrasy of English and , and especially of .
• Complete bilabial closure, , found in Abkhaz and Ubykh

Similarly to the distinction between the labio-palatal and labio-velar semivowels, some languages exhibit labio-palatalization , rather than labio-velarization .

Prelabialization

In Slovene, sounds can be prelabialized. Furthermore, the change is phonemic and all phonemes have prelabialized pairs (though not all of their allophones can have pairs). Compare 'stand' and 'stand up' . The prelabialization part, however, is usually not considered as being part of the same phoneme as prelabialized sound, but rather as an allophone of as it changes depending on the environment, e. g. 'take' and 'summarize' . See Slovene phonology for more details.

Transcription

In the International Phonetic Alphabet, protruded labialization is indicated with a raised modifier , as in . There are also diacritics, respectively , to indicate greater or lesser degrees of rounding. These are normally used with vowels but may occur with consonants. For example, in Hupa, an Athabaskan language, voiceless velar fricatives distinguish three degrees of labialization, transcribed either or .

The VoQS system has two additional symbols for degrees of rounding, originally introduced as part of the extensions to the IPA: Spread and open-rounded (as in English and French). It also has a symbol for labiodentalized sounds, , which the IPA Handbook (1999) states may also be used for protruded labialization if is additionally specifying simultaneous velarization.

If precision is desired, the Abkhaz and Ubykh articulations may be transcribed with the appropriate fricative or trill raised as a diacritic: , , , .

For simple labialization, resurrected an old IPA symbol, , which would be placed above a letter with a descender such as . However, their chief example is Shona sv and zv, which they transcribe and but which actually seem to be whistled sibilants, without necessarily being labialized. Another possibility is to use the IPA diacritic for rounding, distinguishing for example the labialization in English soon and swoon. The open rounding of English is also unvelarized.

Assimilation

Labialization also refers to a specific type of assimilatory process where a given sound become labialized due to the influence of neighboring labial sounds. For example, may become in the environment of , or may become in the environment of or .

In the Northwest Caucasian languages as well as some Australian languages rounding has shifted from the vowels to the consonants, producing a wide range of labialized consonants and leaving in some cases only two phonemic vowels. This appears to have been the case in Ubykh and Eastern Arrernte, for example. The labial vowel sounds usually still remain, but only as allophones next to the now-labial consonant sounds.

List of labialized consonants

{| class="wikitable"

|+

! colspan ="2" | Type

! width="28%" | Phone

!IPA

! Languages

|-

| rowspan="29" | Stop

| rowspan="16" | plain

| protruded voiceless bilabial stop

| <big></big>

| Chaha, Ibaloi, Paha, Eastern Arrernte, Soga

|-

| protruded voiced bilabial stop

| <big></big>

| Chaha, Ibaloi, Paha, Mayo, Yaqui

|-

| lab^zd voiceless dental stop

| <big></big>

|Soga (marginal)

|-

| lab^zd voiced dental stop

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte, Soga

|-

| lab^zd voiceless alveolar stop

| <big></big>

| Archi, Abkhaz, Lao, Paha, Ubykh, Eastern Arrernte, Soga

|-

| lab^zd voiced alveolar stop

| <big></big>

| Archi, Abkhaz, Gua, Ubykh, Soga

|-

| lab^zd voiceless retroflex stop

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

| lab^zd voiceless alveolo-palatal stop

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

| lab^zd voiceless palatal stop

| <big></big>

|Medumba

|-

| lab^zd voiced palatal stop

| <big></big>

|Medumba

|-

| lab^zd voiceless velar stop

| <big></big>

| Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Halkomelem, Kabardian, Taos, Chipewyan, Hadza, Gwichʼin, Tlingit, Akan, Nez Perce, Archi, Cantonese, Wariʼ, Chaha, Dahalo, Hausa, Igala, Igbo, Lao, Latin, Nahuatl, Nawat, Okinawan, Ossetic, Paha, Portuguese, Thai, Tigrinya, Hiw, Ubykh, Bearlake Slavey, Breton, Gothic, Eastern Arrernte

|-

| lab^zd voiced velar stop

| <big></big>

| Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Akan, Archi, Chaha, Dahalo, Hausa, Okinawan, Oowekyala, Ossetic, Hadza, Ibaloi, Igala, Igbo, Gwichʼin, Kabardian, Paha, Portuguese, Tigrinya, Ubykh, Breton, Yoruba, Gothic

|-

| lab^zd voiceless uvular stop

| <big></big>

| Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Kabardian, Ossetic, Paha, Tlingit, Nez Perce, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd pharyngealized voiceless uvular stop

| <big></big>

| Archi, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd voiced uvular stop

| <big></big>

| Oowekyala, Kwak'wala, Tsakhur

|-

| lab^zd glottal stop

| <big></big>

| Adyghe, Kabardian, Lao, Tlingit

|-

| rowspan="11" |prenasalized

|protruded voiceless bilabial stop

| <big></big>

| Soga

|-

|protruded voiced bilabial stop

|<big></big>

|Tamambo, Eastern Arrernte, North Teke, Soga (marginal)

|-

| lab^zd voiced dental stop

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte, Soga

|-

| lab^zd voiceless alveolar stop

| <big></big>

|Soga

|-

| lab^zd voiced alveolar stop

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte, Soga

|-

| lab^zd voiced alveolo-palatal stop

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

| lab^zd voiced retroflex stop

|<big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

| lab^zd voiceless palatal stop

| <big></big>

|Medumba

|-

| lab^zd voiced palatal stop

| <big></big>

|Medumba

|-

| lab^zd voiceless velar stop

| <big></big>

|North Teke, Soga

|-

| lab^zd voiced velar stop

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte, North Teke, Soga

|-

| rowspan = "2" | labial–velar

| protruded voiceless labio-velar stop

| <big></big>

| Dorig, Mwotlap

|-

| protruded voiced labial–velar stop

| <big></big>

| Nizaa, Volow

|-

| rowspan = "11" | Affricate

| rowspan = "6" | sibilant

| lab^zd voiceless alveolar affricate

| <big></big>

| Adyghe, Archi, Lezgian, Tsakhur

|-

| lab^zd voiced alveolar affricate

| <big></big>

| Adyghe, Dahalo, North Teke

|-

| lab^zd voiceless postalveolar affricate

| <big></big>

| Archi, Abaza, Adyghe, Paha, Aghul, German

|-

| lab^zd voiced postalveolar affricate

| <big></big>

| Abaza, Aghul, Tsakhur, German

|-

| lab^zd voiceless alveolo-palatal affricate

| <big></big>

| Abkhaz, Akan, Gua, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd voiced alveolo-palatal affricate

| <big></big>

| Abkhaz, Akan, Ubykh

|-

| rowspan="2" | non-sibilant

| lab^zd voiceless velar affricate

| <big></big>

| Navajo

|-

| lab^zd voiceless uvular affricate

| <big></big>

| Kabardian, Lillooet

|-

| lateral

| lab^zd voiceless velar lateral affricate

| <big></big>

| Archi

|-

| rowspan="2" | prenasalized

| lab^zd voiceless postalveolar affricate

|<big></big>

|North Teke

|-

| lab^zd voiced postalveolar affricate

|<big></big>

|North Teke

|-

| rowspan="29" | Fricative

| rowspan="8" | sibilant

| lab^zd voiceless alveolar sibilant

| <big></big>

| Archi, Lao, Lezgian, Soga

|-

| lab^zd voiced alveolar sibilant

| <big></big>

| Archi, Tsakhur, Lezgian, Soga

|-

| lab^zd voiceless postalveolar sibilant

| <big></big>

| Archi, Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Paha, Aghul, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd voiced postalveolar sibilant

| <big></big>

| Archi, Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Aghul, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd voiceless retroflex sibilant

| <big></big>

| Bzhedug

|-

| lab^zd voiced retroflex sibilant

| <big></big>

| Bzhedug

|-

| lab^zd voiceless alveolo-palatal sibilant

| <big></big>

| Abkhaz, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd voiced alveolo-palatal sibilant

| <big></big>

| Abkhaz, Ubykh

|-

| rowspan = "15" | non-sibilant

| protruded voiceless bilabial fricative

| <big></big>

| Okinawan, Taruma

|-

| protruded voiced bilabial fricative

| <big></big>

| Tamambo, Soga (contrasts with the labiodental)

|-

| lab^zd voiceless labiodental fricative

| <big></big>

| Hadza, Chaha, Gua, Soga

|-

| lab^zd voiced labiodental fricative

| <big></big>

| Soga (contrasts with the bilabial), Chichewa

|-

| lab^zd voiceless dental fricative

| <big></big>

| Paha

|-

| lab^zd voiced dental fricative

| <big></big>

| Paha

|-

| lab^zd voiceless palatal fricative

| <big></big>

| Akan

|-

| lab^zd voiceless velar fricative

| <big></big>

| Abaza, Adyghe, Avestan, Chaha, Halkomelem, Kabardian, Oowekyala, Taos, Navajo, Tigrinya, Lillooet, Tlingit

|-

| lab^zd voiced velar fricative

| <big></big>

| Abaza, Navajo, Lillooet, Gwichʼin, possibly Proto-Indo-European

|-

| lab^zd voiceless uvular fricative

| <big></big>

| Abkhaz, Adyghe, Archi, Halkomelem, Kabardian, Lillooet, Tlingit, Wariʼ, Chipewyan, Oowekyala, Ossetic, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd pharyngealized voiceless uvular fricative

| <big></big>

| Abkhaz, Archi, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd voiced uvular fricative

| <big></big>

| Abkhaz, Adyghe, Chipewyan, Kabardian, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd pharyngealized voiced uvular fricative

| <big></big>

| Archi, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd voiceless pharyngeal fricative

| <big></big>

| Abaza, Abkhaz

|-

| lab^zd voiced pharyngeal fricative

| <big></big>

| Abaza, Lillooet

|-

| pseudo-fricative

| lab^zd voiceless glottal fricative

| <big></big>

| Akan, Tlingit, Tsakhur, Gothic, Gua

|-

| rowspan = "2" | lateral

| lab^zd voiceless alveolar lateral fricative

| <big></big>

| Dahalo

|-

| lab^zd voiceless velar lateral fricative

| <big></big>

| Archi

|-

| rowspan="3" |prenasalized

| lab^zd voiced labiodental fricative

| <big></big>

|Soga (marginal)

|-

| lab^zd voiceless alveolar fricative

| <big></big>

|Soga

|-

| lab^zd voiced alveolar fricative

| <big></big>

|Soga (marginal)

|-

| rowspan="14" | Nasal

| rowspan="8" |plain

| protruded bilabial nasal

| <big></big>

| Adyghe, Chaha, Paha, Tamambo, Eastern Arrernte, Soga

|-

|lab^zd dental nasal

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte, Soga

|-

|lab^zd alveolar nasal

|<big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte, Soga

|-

| lab^zd retroflex nasal

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

|lab^zd alveolo-palatal nasal

|<big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

| lab^zd palatal nasal

| <big></big>

| Akan, North Teke

|-

| lab^zd velar nasal

| <big></big>

| Akan, Avestan, Lao, Hiw, Igala, Eastern Arrernte

|-

| protruded labial-velar nasal

| <big></big>

| Dorig, Gua, Mwotlap

|-

| rowspan="6" | pre-stopped

| protruded bilabial nasal

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

|lab^zd dental nasal

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

|lab^zd alveolar nasal

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

|lab^zd retroflex nasal

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

| lab^zd alveolo-palatal nasal

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

|lab^zd velar nasal

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Flap/tap

|lab^zd alveolar tap

|<big></big>

|Mishmi, Eastern Arrernte

|-

|lab^zd alveolar lateral flap

|<big></big>

|Soga

|-

| colspan="2" |Trill

|lab^zd alveolar trill

|<big></big>

|Marshallese

|-

| rowspan="13" |Approximant

| rowspan="4" |lateral

|lab^zd dental lateral approximant

|<big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

| lab^zd alveolar lateral approximant

| <big></big>

| Lao, Eastern Arrernte, Gua

|-

| lab^zd retroflex lateral approximant

|<big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

| lab^zd alveolo-palatal lateral approximant

| <big></big>

|Eastern Arrernte

|-

| rowspan="9" |median

| lab^zd labiodental approximant

| <big></big>

| Russian

|-

| labialized palatal approximant

| <big></big>

| Abkhaz, Akan, French, Mandarin, Paha, Eastern Arrernte

|-

| compressed labio-velar approximant (voiced)

| <big></big>

| Japanese

|-

| protruded labio-velar approximant (voiced)

|<big></big>

|widespread; in nearly every above-mentioned language, as well as e.g. Arabic, English, Korean, Vietnamese

|-

| voiceless labio-velar approximant

| <big></big>

| certain dialects of English

|-

| nasalized labio-velar approximant

| <big></big>

| Polish, Portuguese

|-

| nasalized voiceless labio-velar approximant

| <big></big>

| Nemi

|-

| lab^zd postalveolar approximant

| <big></big>

| rowspan=2|many dialects of English

Eastern Arrernte

|-

| lab^zd retroflex approximant

| <big></big>

|-

| rowspan="14" colspan=2 | Ejective

| protruded bilabial ejective

| <big></big>

| Adyghe

|-

| lab^zd alveolar ejective

| <big></big>

| Abkhaz, Adyghe, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd velar ejective

| <big></big>

| Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Archi, Bearlake Slavey, Chipewyan, Halkomelem, Kabardian, Ossetic, Tlingit, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd postalveolar ejective fricative

| <big></big>

| Adyghe

|-

| lab^zd uvular ejective

| <big></big>

| Abaza, Abkhaz, Archi, Halkomelem, Hakuchi, Tlingit, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd pharyngealized uvular ejective

| <big></big>

| Archi, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd alveolar ejective affricate

| <big></big>

| Archi, Khwarshi

|-

| lab^zd alveolar lateral ejective affricate

| <big></big>

| Khwarshi

|-

| lab^zd postalveolar ejective affricate

| <big></big>

| Abaza, Archi, Khwarshi

|-

| lab^zd retroflex ejective affricate

| <big></big>

| allophonic in Adyghe

|-

| lab^zd alveolo-palatal ejective affricate

| <big></big>

| Abkhaz, Ubykh

|-

| lab^zd velar lateral ejective affricate

| <big></big>

| Archi

|-

| lab^zd velar ejective fricative

| <big></big>

| Tlingit

|-

| lab^zd uvular ejective fricative

| <big></big>

| Tlingit

|-

| colspan="2" rowspan="16" | Click

| lab^zd tenuis dental click

| <big></big>

| Xhosa (tenuis or ejective), Yeyi

|-

| lab^zd tenuis alveolar click

| <big></big>

| Xhosa (tenuis or ejective), Yeyi

|-

|lab^zd tenuis alveolar click

|<big></big>

|Xhosa (tenuis or ejective)

|-

| lab^zd aspirated dental click

| <big></big>

| Xhosa, Yeyi

|-

| lab^zd aspirated alveolar click

| <big></big>

| Xhosa, Yeyi

|-

| lab^zd aspirated lateral click

| <big></big>

| Xhosa, Yeyi

|-

| lab^zd nasal dental click

| <big></big>

| Xhosa, Yeyi

|-

| lab^zd nasal alveolar click

| <big></big>

| Xhosa, Yeyi

|-

| lab^zd nasal lateral click

| <big></big>

| Xhosa, Yeyi

|-

|lab^zd voiced dental click

|<big></big>

|Xhosa (voiced aspirated)

|-

| lab^zd voiced alveolar click

| <big></big>

| Xhosa (voiced aspirated), Yeyi

|-

| lab^zd voiced lateral click

| <big></big>

| Xhosa (voiced aspirated), Yeyi

|-

| lab^zd glottalized nasal alveolar click

| <big></big>

| Yeyi

|-

|lab^zd breathy nasal dental click

| <big></big>

|Xhosa

|-

|lab^zd breathy nasal alveolar click

| <big></big>

|Xhosa

|-

|lab^zd breathy nasal lateral click

| <big></big>

|Xhosa

|}

Note that labialized palatal clicks are not attested in Yeyi and are not reconstructed for Proto-Kxʼa.

Xhosa also has prenasalized tenuis/ejective and aspirated clicks, which also occur labialized (nkqw, nkxw, nchw, nqhw, nxhw).

See also

• Labio-palatalization (◌ᶣ)

References

Bibliography