Pharyngealization or pharyngealisation is a secondary articulation of consonants or vowels by which the pharynx or epiglottis is constricted during the articulation of the sound.

Pharyngealized
◌ˤ
IPA number423
Encoding
Entity (decimal)ˤ
Unicode (hex)U+02E4
X-SAMPA_?\
Velarized or pharyngealized
◌̴
IPA number428
Encoding
Entity (decimal)̴
Unicode (hex)U+0334
Epiglottalized
◌𐞴
Encoding
Entity (decimal)𐞴
Unicode (hex)U+107B4

IPA symbols

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In the International Phonetic Alphabet, pharyngealization can be indicated by one of two methods:

  1. A tilde or swung dash (IPA Number 428) is written through the base letter (typographic overstrike). It is the older and more generic symbol. It indicates velarization, uvularization or pharyngealization, as in [ᵶ], the guttural equivalent of [z].
  2. The symbol ˤ (IPA Number 423) a superscript variant of ⟨ʕ⟩, the voiced pharyngeal approximant is written after the base letter. It indicates specifically a pharyngealized consonant, as in [tˤ], a pharyngealized [t].

Some linguists have also used a superscript voiced epiglottal fricative 𐞴 to represent pharyngealization,[1] though this may also be used more specifically to indicate epiglottalization (a particularly strong degree of pharyngealization), as in the case of strident vowels.[2]

Other systems

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In many romanization systems like for Arabic, ◌̣ is used. For example, is used for the country of Qaṭar (in Arabic script قطر).

Computing codes

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Since Unicode 1.1, there have been two similar superscript characters: IPA ˤ (U+02E4 ˤ MODIFIER LETTER SMALL REVERSED GLOTTAL STOP) and Semiticist ˁ (U+02C1 ˁ MODIFIER LETTER REVERSED GLOTTAL STOP). U+02E4 is formally a superscript ʕ (U+0295 ʕ LATIN LETTER PHARYNGEAL VOICED FRICATIVE, = reversed glottal stop), and in the Unicode charts looks like a simple superscript ʕ, though in some fonts it looks like a superscript reversed lower-case letter glottal stop ɂ. U+02C1 is a typographic alternative to ʿ (U+02BF ʿ MODIFIER LETTER LEFT HALF RING); which is used to transliterate the Semitic consonant ayin and which is equivalent to a reversed ʾ, which itself transliterates the glottal Semitic consonants aleph and hamza. In the Unicode charts U+02C1 looks like a reversed ˀ (U+02C0 ˀ MODIFIER LETTER GLOTTAL STOP), which is used in the IPA for glottalization. There is no parallel Unicode distinction for modifier glottal stop. The IPA Handbook[3] lists U+02E4 as the Unicode equivalent of IPA Number 423, the dedicated IPA symbol for pharyngealization.

The superimposed tilde is assigned Unicode character U+0334. This was originally intended to combine with other letters to represent pharyngealization. However, that usage is now deprecated (though still functional), and several precomposed letters have been adopted to replace it. These are the labial consonants and the coronal consonants ɫ.

Character ʕˤˁʿ̴
Unicode name Latin letter pharyngeal voiced fricativemodifier letter small reversed glottal stopmodifier letter reversed glottal stopmodifier letter left half ringcombining tilde overlay
Character encoding decimalhexdecimalhexdecimalhexdecimalhexdecimalhex
661029574002E470502C170302BF8200334
Numeric character reference ʕʕˤˤˁˁʿʿ̴̴

Usage

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Ubykh, an extinct Northwest Caucasian language spoken in Russia and Turkey, used pharyngealization in 14 pharyngealized consonants. Tsilhqotʼin has pharyngealized consonants that trigger pharyngealization of vowels. Many languages (such as Salishan, Sahaptian) in the Plateau culture area of North America also have pharyngealization processes that are triggered by pharyngeal or pharyngealized consonants, which affect vowels.

The Tuu/"Khoisan" language Taa (or !Xóõ) has pharyngealized vowels that contrast phonemically with voiced, breathy and epiglottalized vowels.[4] That feature is represented in the orthography by a tilde under the respective pharyngealized vowel. In Tuu languages, epiglottalized vowels are phonemic.

For many languages, pharyngealization is generally associated with more dental articulations of coronal consonants. Dark l tends to be dental or denti-alveolar, but clear l tends to be retracted to an alveolar position.[5]

Arabic and Syriac use secondary uvularization, which is generally not distinguished from pharyngealization, for the "emphatic" coronal consonants.[6][7]

Examples of pharyngealized consonants

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(Uvularized consonants are not distinguished from pharyngealized.)

Attested pharyngealized consonants (pulmonic only)
Labial Dental Alveolar Post­alveolar Velar Uvular Glottal
Nasal ɴˤ
Plosive ɡˤ ɢˤ ʔˤ
Sibilant affricate tsˤ dzˤ tʃˤ dʒˤ
Fricative θˤ ðˤ ʃˤ ʒˤ χˤ ʁˤ
Approximant ɹˤ
Trill
Lateral affricate tɬˤ dɮˤ
Lateral fricative ɬˤ ɮˤ
Lateral approximant

Stops

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Fricatives

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Affricates

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Trills

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Nasals

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Approximants

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Examples of pharyngealized vowels

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  • pharyngealized vowels [ʊˤː oˤː ʌˤː ɔˤː aˤː] in Chemnitz German
  • pharyngealized vowels [ɪˤ ɜˤ ʊˤ ɛˤ ~ æˤ ɐˤ ~ ɔˤ ~ ɑˤ] in the Air Tamajeq language
  • pharyngealized vowels [iˤ ɑˤ] in Even
  • pharyngealized vowels [iˤ əˤ aˤ] in Tsakhur
  • pharyngealized vowels [iˤ ɛˤ ɔˤ ɑˤ] in Udi
  • pharyngealized vowels [ĩˤ ũˤ ãˤ aˤ] in Mambay (Mangbai)
  • pharyngealized vowels [iˤ aˤ] in ǃXóõ

Notes

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  1. Ladefoged & Maddieson (1996), p. 365. Notably, Ladefoged & Maddieson use ˤ for pharyngealization in other parts of the book, specifically pp. 306–311.
  2. Esling et al. (2019), pp. 168–169.
  3. International Phonetic Association (1999:172–173)
  4. Ladefoged (2005:183)
  5. Recasens & Espinosa (2005:4)
  6. McCarthy, John (1994). "The phonetics and phonology of Semitic pharyngeals". In Keating, Patricia A. (ed.). Phonological structure and phonetic form: papers in laboratory phonology III. Cambridge University Press. pp. 191–233. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511659461.012.
  7. Shahin, Kimary (1996). "Accessing pharyngeal place in Palestinian Arabic". In Eid, Mushira; Parkinson, Dilworth B. (eds.). Perspectives on Arabic Linguistics: Papers from the Annual Symposium on Arabic Linguistics. Vol. 9. pp. 131–149. doi:10.1075/cilt.141.10sha. ISBN 9781556195969.
  8. 1 2 Asadpour & Mohammadi (2014), p. 109.

References

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Further reading

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