Labionasal is a phonetics term that refers to a consonant sound produced by the lips and nose. In IPA phonetic transcription, it is spelled as /læbionasal/. The "labio" prefix represents the lips, as it comes from the Latin word "labium," while the "nasal" suffix shows that the sound is produced through the nose. This sound is produced when air flows out of the nasal passage while the lips are closed or nearly closed, resulting in a nasalized version of the sound.
Labionasal is an adjective that refers to a sound produced by the combined action of the lips and the nose. It is used to describe a specific type of speech sound, also known as a phoneme, that is produced by directing air through both the nasal cavity and the mouth simultaneously. Labionasal sounds are characterized by the involvement of the lips in their production, which helps to create the desired effect.
In terms of articulation, labionasal sounds commonly involve the closure or near-closure of the lips, allowing the air to pass through both the nasal passage and the oral cavity. This simultaneous passage of air results in a distinct resonance and quality in the sound. Labionasal sounds exist in various languages, and the specific symbols used to represent them in phonetic transcription may vary depending on the language.
These sounds are created by controlling the airflow through the nasal and oral passages, and can be distinguished from other sounds by their characteristics. Labionasal sounds are often associated with nasal vowels, where nasal resonance is added to a vowel sound. They can also be found in the production of consonants, such as labionasal stops or nasals, where the airflow is controlled by the position of the lips and the opening and closing of the nasal cavity.
Relating to the upper lip and the nose, or to both lips and the nose; noting a letter (m) which is both labial and nasal in the production of its sound.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The term "labionasal" is a compound word formed by combining two anatomical terms: "labio-" and "-nasal".
The word "labio-" comes from the Latin word "labium", meaning "lip". It refers to anything related to the lips or involving the use of the lips.
The word "-nasal" is derived from the Latin word "nasus", meaning "nose". It is used to describe anything related to or involving the nose.
Therefore, "labionasal" is a combination of these two elements, referring to something that involves both the lips and the nose. In phonetics, it is used to describe sounds produced by the simultaneous movement of the lower lip and the soft palate (located at the back of the mouth and the start of the throat).