APPROXIMANT CONSONANT Meaning and
Definition
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An approximant consonant refers to a category of sounds in phonetics that are produced by bringing two articulatory organs relatively close together, but without creating a turbulent airflow, as in the case of fricatives. These consonants are characterized by a relatively smooth and gliding airflow, resulting in a consonantal sound that is similar to a vowel but closer to a consonant.
Approximant consonants can exhibit different manners of articulation, such as labial, alveolar, palatal, or velar, depending on the specific articulatory organs involved in their production. Labial approximants, for example, involve the lips, while alveolar approximants involve the tip or blade of the tongue against or near the alveolar ridge, just behind the upper front teeth.
Some common examples of approximant consonants include the English sounds /w/ as in "win," /r/ as in "red," and /j/ as in "yes." These sounds are produced by bringing the articulatory organs close together, but without completely restricting the airflow.
Approximant consonants are considered more sonorant than obstruents, such as stops and fricatives, since they allow for a more continuous and less obstructed airflow. This results in a smoother, more melodic quality that makes them often resemble vowels. However, they are distinct from vowels due to their consonantal potential and their pairing with vowels in contrastive positions within words.
Etymology of APPROXIMANT CONSONANT
The word "approximant" originates from the Latin prefix "ad-" meaning "to" and the Latin root "proximus" meaning "nearest". "Approximant" is derived from the verb "appropinquare", which means "to approach" or "to come near".
The term "consonant" comes from the Latin word "consonans", which is a combination of the prefix "con-" meaning "together" and the verb "sonans" meaning "sounding". Thus, "consonant" literally means "sounding together".
In the context of linguistics, an "approximant consonant" is a type of consonant sound that is produced by bringing two articulatory organs close together, but not so close as to produce turbulence, unlike fricative consonants.
