TENUIS CONSONANT Meaning and
Definition
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A tenuis consonant, also known as an unvoiced or voiceless consonant, is a type of consonant sound produced without any vibration or resonance of the vocal cords. In phonetics, it is referred to as the absence of voice while producing the sound. Tenuis consonants are generated by the complete closure or partial obstruction of the vocal tract, resulting in the release of air. This airflow produces a noise-like sound rather than a tone.
Tenuis consonants can be found in various languages and are characterized by their lack of vibration in the vocal cords during articulation. For example, the sounds /p/, /t/, /k/ are considered tenuis consonants. In the English language, these consonants are commonly grouped together as voiceless plosive sounds.
They are distinguished from other types of consonants, such as voiced or aspirated consonants, which involve vocal cord vibration or a puff of air release during their production. The articulatory and acoustic features of tenuis consonants differ significantly from their voiced counterparts.
In summary, a tenuis consonant refers to a voiceless sound produced without vocal cord vibration. It is characterized by a complete or partial blockage of the vocal tract, resulting in the release of air and a noise-like sound.
Etymology of TENUIS CONSONANT
The word "tenuis" comes from Latin and originally meant "thin" or "slender". In the context of phonetics, it refers to a voiceless consonant produced with minimal constriction of airflow in the vocal tract. The term "tenuis consonant" is often used to distinguish between voiceless stops (such as "p", "t", and "k") and aspirated or ejective stops (such as "ph", "th", and "kh" respectively). The use of "tenuis" in this context indicates the unmarked or basic form of these consonants.
