Dentalisation is a linguistic term used to describe the articulation of sounds using the teeth as an articulatory point. The IPA phonetic transcription for this word is /dɛn.tə.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/. The first syllable is pronounced with an open-mid front unrounded vowel /ɛ/, followed by a tapping /t/ and a schwa /ə/. The second syllable uses a mid-central unrounded vowel /ə/, a lateral approximant /l/, and a voiced dental fricative /ð/. The final syllable is pronounced with a fronted voiced alveolar fricative /z/ and a shwa /ə/.
Dentalisation refers to a linguistic phenomenon in which a sound, particularly a consonant, is articulated with the tongue touching or coming close to the upper teeth. It is a manner of articulation that involves the alteration of a non-dental sound into a dental sound. This alteration occurs when the tongue tip or blade make contact with the back of the upper front teeth (incisors) or the alveolar ridge (the bony ridge behind the upper front teeth). Dentalisation can affect various sounds, including stops, nasals, fricatives, and affricates.
The articulatory gesture of dentalisation changes the place of articulation of a sound and introduces a dental quality, altering the sound's acoustic characteristics. For example, an alveolar /t/ sound can be dentalised by bringing the tongue tip slightly closer to the upper teeth, resulting in a dentalized /t̪/. Similarly, the /s/ sound can be dentalised by bringing the tongue closer to the upper front teeth, producing a dentalized /s̪/.
Dentalisation can occur naturally as a regional or individual idiosyncrasy, or it can be a phonemic feature in certain languages. Some languages, such as Hindi and Pashto, utilize dentalized sounds as distinct phonemes in their phonological systems. Dentalisation can also be a feature in specific speech disorders or accents, influencing the overall pronunciation and intelligibility of the individual.
The word "dentalisation" is derived from the noun "dentalize", which is formed by combining the root word "dental" with the suffix "-ize". The term "dental" is derived from the Latin word "dens", meaning "tooth", while the suffix "-ize" comes from the Greek "-izein", used to form verbs from nouns or adjectives.
Therefore, "dentalisation" refers to the process of pronouncing a sound with a dental articulation, which involves the tongue making contact with the teeth.