Labialized palatal approximant

Labialized palatal approximant
ɥ
jʷ
IPA number	171
Encoding
Entity (decimal)	ɥ
Unicode (hex)	U+0265
X-SAMPA	H
Kirshenbaum	j<rnd>
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Image
Sound
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The labialized palatal approximant, also called the labial–palatal or labio-palatal approximant, is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. It has two constrictions in the vocal tract: with the tongue on the palate, and rounded at the lips. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨ɥ⟩, a rotated lowercase letter ⟨h⟩, or occasionally ⟨jʷ⟩, since it is a labialized [j].

The labialized palatal approximant is the semivocalic equivalent of the close front rounded vowel [y]. The two are almost identical featurally. They alternate with each other in certain languages, such as French, and in the diphthongs of some languages, ⟨ɥ⟩ and ⟨y̯⟩ with the non-syllabic diacritic are used in different transcription systems to represent the same sound.

There is also a labialized post-palatal approximant (also called pre-velar, fronted velar etc.) in some languages.

Compressed palatal approximant

Features

Features of the compressed palatal approximant:

• Its manner of articulation is approximant, which means it is produced by narrowing the vocal tract at the place of articulation, but not enough to produce a turbulent airstream.
• Its place of articulation is called labio-palatal, which means it is labialized palatal, accomplished by raising the body of the tongue toward the palate while compressing the lips.

• Its phonation is voiced, which means the vocal cords vibrate during the articulation.

• It is an oral consonant, which means air is allowed to escape through the mouth only.

• It is a central consonant, which means it is produced by directing the airstream along the center of the tongue, rather than to the sides.

• The airstream mechanism is pulmonic, which means it is articulated by pushing air solely with the lungs and diaphragm, as in most sounds.

Occurrence

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Abkhaz		ауаҩы	[awaˈɥə]	'human'	See Abkhaz phonology
Chinese	Mandarin	月/yuè	[ɥe˥˩]	'moon'	See Mandarin phonology
	Shanghainese[1]	[ɥo̽ʔ⁵]		'bath'	Allophone of /j/ before rounded vowels.[1]
French		nuit	[nɥi]	'night'	Merges with /w/ or /y/ in Belgian French. See French phonology
Iaai					Contrasts with the voiceless /ɥ̊/.
Korean		귀/gwi	[kɥi]	'ear'	See Korean phonology
Norwegian	Standard Eastern[2]	dualisme	[d̻ʉ͍ɥ͍ɑˈlɪ̟smə]	'dualism'	Post-palatal; appears prevocalically after the compressed close vowels /ʉ, ʉː/.[2] May be transcribed with ⟨w̟⟩ or simply ⟨w⟩. See Norwegian phonology
Shipibo[3]					Allophone of /w/ before /i, ĩ/. Only lightly labialized.[3]
Sorbian	Upper[4]	wem	[ɥem]	'I know'	Soft counterpart of /β/.[4] See Upper Sorbian phonology
Xumi	Lower[5]	[^Rdʑɥɛ]		'fang'	Allophone of /w/ when preceded by an (alveolo-)palatal initial and/or followed by one of the front vowels /i, e, ɛ/ (in Upper Xumi also /ĩ/).[5][6]
	Upper[6]	[^Rdɥe]		'to ask'

Protruded palatal approximant

Features

Features of the protruded palatal approximant:

• Its manner of articulation is approximant, which means it is produced by narrowing the vocal tract at the place of articulation, but not enough to produce a turbulent airstream.
• Its place of articulation is called labio-palatal, which means it is labialized palatal, accomplished by raising the body of the tongue toward the palate while protruding the lips.

• Its phonation is voiced, which means the vocal cords vibrate during the articulation.

• It is an oral consonant, which means air is allowed to escape through the mouth only.

• It is a central consonant, which means it is produced by directing the airstream along the center of the tongue, rather than to the sides.

• The airstream mechanism is pulmonic, which means it is articulated by pushing air solely with the lungs and diaphragm, as in most sounds.

Occurrence

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Norwegian	Standard Eastern[2]	cyanid	[sʏ̫ɥ̫ɑˈn̻iːd̻]	'cyanide'	Appears prevocalically after the protruded close vowels /ʏ, yː/.[2] See Norwegian phonology
Swedish	Central Standard[7]	yla	[ˈŷ̫ɥ̫ˌlâ̠]	'howl'	[y̫ɥ̫] is a common phonetic realization of /yː/. See Swedish phonology

See also

• Voiceless labialized palatal approximant
• Labio-palatalization

References

1. Chen & Gussenhoven (2015:331)
2. Kristoffersen (2000), p. 35.
3. Valenzuela, Márquez Pinedo & Maddieson (2001), p. 283.
4. Šewc-Schuster (1984), pp. 36–37, 41, 46.
5. Chirkova & Chen (2013), p. 368.
6. Chirkova, Chen & Kocjančič Antolík (2013), p. 387.
7. Ladefoged & Maddieson (1996), p. 295.

Bibliography

• Chen, Yiya; Gussenhoven, Carlos (2015), "Shanghai Chinese", Journal of the International Phonetic Association 45 (3): 321–327, doi:10.1017/S0025100315000043
• Chirkova, Katia; Chen, Yiya (2013), "Xumi, Part 1: Lower Xumi, the Variety of the Lower and Middle Reaches of the Shuiluo River" (PDF), Journal of the International Phonetic Association 43 (3): 363–379, doi:10.1017/S0025100313000157
• Chirkova, Katia; Chen, Yiya; Kocjančič Antolík, Tanja (2013), "Xumi, Part 2: Upper Xumi, the Variety of the Upper Reaches of the Shuiluo River" (PDF), Journal of the International Phonetic Association 43 (3): 381–396, doi:10.1017/S0025100313000169
• Kristoffersen, Gjert (2000), The Phonology of Norwegian, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-823765-5
• Ladefoged, Peter; Maddieson, Ian (1996). The Sounds of the World's Languages. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-19814-8.
• Šewc-Schuster, Hinc (1984), Gramatika hornjo-serbskeje rěče, Budyšin: Ludowe nakładnistwo Domowina
• Valenzuela, Pilar M.; Márquez Pinedo, Luis; Maddieson, Ian (2001), "Shipibo", Journal of the International Phonetic Association 31 (2): 281–285, doi:10.1017/S0025100301002109