Glottalic consonant

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A glottalic consonant is a consonant produced with some important contribution (a movement, a closure) of the glottis (the opening that leads from the nose and mouth cavities into the larynx and the lungs).

Glottalic sounds may involve motion of the larynx upward or downward, producing an egressive or ingressive glottalic airstream mechanism respectively. An egressive glottalic airstream produces ejective consonants, while an ingressive glottalic airstream produces implosive consonants. Ejectives are almost always voiceless stops (plosives) or affricates, while implosives are almost always voiced stops.

However, when a sound is said to be glottalized, this is not normally what is meant. Rather, glottalization implies that a normal pulmonic airstream is interrupted by closure of the glottis. Sonorants (including vowels) may be glottalized in this fashion. There are two ways this is represented in the IPA: (a) the same way as ejectives, with an apostrophe; or, (b) more properly with the under-tilde for creaky voice. For example, the Yapese word for sick with a glottalized m could be transcribed as either [m’aar] or [m̰aar]. (In some typefaces, the apostrophe would occur above the em.)

When glottalic consonants of different types are present in a language, they tend to form a single phonological class. This can also be seen from how a language that has one kind of glottaliced consonants is also more likely to have other kinds than could be expected by random chance. The connection is particularly strong between ejectives and glottalized sonorants, though this may be an areal feature rather than an inherent feature of the sounds in question. Furthermore, since none of the three types are very common, languages containing more than one type are still quite rare. ^[1]

How to produce an implosive consonant

In order to produce an implosive b, do as follows:

1. Close your lips together so as to pronounce a [b].
2. Move your glottis downward as if you were swallowing. You should be able to feel it move with your fingers; if you have a noticeable adam's apple, you should also be able to see it move in a mirror.
3. While 'swallowing', open your lips and say [ba]. Try doing this quickly so that the air flows into your mouth while you pronounce the [b]. There should be a deep hollow sound, and the [a] should follow smoothly.

The same principle applies to the other implosive consonants, but [ɓ] is the easiest.

How to produce an ejective consonant

In order to produce, for example, an ejective k, do as follows:

1. Press the back of your tongue to the roof of your mouth so as to pronounce a [k].
2. Move your glottis upward. If this is not something you normally do, you may need to monitor your adam's apple with your fingers.
3. You may notice the pressure building. Release the back of your tongue, letting out air for a [ka]. The [k] should be clicky and dull. (Your glottis will move down again during the [a], so don't mind that.)

The same principle applies to the other ejective consonants, but [k’] is the easiest.

Glottalic sounds in languages

Many of the languages of the Pacific coast of America, southern and eastern Africa, the Caucasus feature ejectives. They are also found in e.g. parts of Siberia.

Implosives are more strongly areal in their distribution; they are found throughout all but northernmost Africa, and, to a lesser extent, Southeast Asia. They are rather rare elsewhere.^[1]

Glottalic resonants most commonly occur in the Pacific Northwest linguistic area.

See also

• Glottalization

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Maddieson, Ian. 2008. Glottalized Consonants. In: Haspelmath, Martin & Dryer, Matthew S. & Gil, David & Comrie, Bernard (eds.) The World Atlas of Language Structures Online. Munich: Max Planck Digital Library, chapter 7. Available online at http://wals.info/feature/7 Accessed on 2008-06-05.