Labialization

Labialized
◌ʷ

"Lip rounding" redirects here. See Roundedness for the lip rounding of vowels.

Labialization is a secondary articulatory feature of sounds in some languages. Labialized sounds involve the lips while the remainder of the oral cavity produces another sound. The term is normally restricted to consonants. When vowels involve the lips, they are called rounded.

The most common labialized consonants are labialized velars. Most other labialized sounds also have simultaneous velarization, and the process may then be more precisely called labio-velarization.

Labialization may also refer to a type of assimilation process.

Occurrence

Labialization is the most widespread secondary articulation in the world's languages. It is phonemically contrastive in Northwest Caucasian (e.g. Adyghe), Athabaskan, and Salishan language families, among others. This contrast is reconstructed also for Proto-Indo-European, the common ancestor of the Indo-European languages.

American English has three degrees of labialization: tight rounded (/w/), slight rounded (/ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/, initial /r/), and unrounded, which in vowels is sometimes called 'spread'. These secondary articulations are not universal. For example, French shares the English slight rounding of /ʃ/, /ʒ/ while Russian does not have slight rounding in its postalveolar fricatives (/ʂ ʐ ɕ ʑ/).

A few languages, including Arrernte and Mba, have contrastive labialized forms for almost all of their consonants.

Types

Out of 706 language inventories surveyed by Ruhlen (1976), labialization occurred most often with velar (42%) and uvular (15%) segments and least often with dental and alveolar segments. With non-dorsal consonants, labialization may include velarization as well. Labialization is not restricted to lip-rounding. The following articulations have either been described as labialization, or been found as allophonic realizations of prototypical labialization:

• Labial rounding, with or without protrusion of the lips (found in Navajo)
• Labiodental frication, found in Abkhaz
• Bilabial frication, found in Ubykh
• Bilabial trill, found in Ubykh
• Complete bilabial closure, [d͡b, t͡p, t͡pʼ], found in Abkhaz and Ubykh
• "Labialization" (/w/, /ɡʷ/, and /kʷ/) without noticeable rounding (protrusion) of the lips, found in the Iroquoian languages. It may be that they are compressed.
• Rounding without velarization, found in Shona and in the Bzyb dialect of Abkhaz.

Eastern Arrernte has labialization at all places and manners of articulation; this derives historically from adjacent rounded vowels, as is also the case of the Northwest Caucasian languages. Marshallese also has labialization at all places of articulation except for coronal obstruents.

In North America, languages from a number of families have sounds that sound labialized (and vowels that sound rounded) without participation of the lips. See Tillamook language for an example.

Transcription

In the International Phonetic Alphabet, labialization of velar consonants is indicated with a raised w modifier [ʷ] (Unicode U+02B7), as in /kʷ/. (Elsewhere this diacritic generally indicates simultaneous labialization and velarization.) There are also diacritics, respectively [ɔ̹], [ɔ̜], to indicate greater or lesser degrees of rounding. These are normally used with vowels, but may occur with consonants. For example, in the Athabaskan language Hupa, voiceless velar fricatives distinguish three degrees of labialization, transcribed either /x/, /x̹/, /xʷ/ or /x/, /x̜ʷ/, /xʷ/.

The Extensions to the IPA has two additional symbols for degrees of rounding: Spread /ɹ͍/ and open-rounded /ʒ^œ/ (as in English). It also has a symbol for labiodentalized sounds, /t^ʋ/.

If precision is desired, the Abkhaz and Ubykh articulations may be transcribed with the appropriate fricative or trill raised as a diacritic: [tᵛ], [tᵝ], [t^ʙ], [tᵖ].

For simple labialization, Ladefoged & Maddieson (1996) resurrected an old IPA symbol, [ ̫], which would be placed above a letter with a descender such as ɡ. However, their chief example is Shona sv and zv, which they transcribe /s̫/ and /z̫/ but which actually seem to be whistled sibilants, without necessarily being labialized. Another possibility is to use the IPA diacritic for rounding, distinguishing for example the labialization in English soon [s̹] and [sʷ] swoon. The open rounding of English /ʃ/ is also unvelarized.

Assimilation

Labialization also refers to a specific type of assimilatory process where a given sound become labialized due to the influence of neighboring labial sounds. For example, /k/ may become /kʷ/ in the environment of /o/, or /a/ may become /o/ in the environment of /p/ or /kʷ/.

In the Northwest Caucasian languages as well as some Australian languages rounding has shifted from the vowels to the consonants, producing a wide range of labialized consonants and leaving in some cases only two phonemic vowels. This appears to have been the case in Ubykh and Eastern Arrernte, for example. The labial vowel sounds usually still remain, but only as allophones next to the now-labial consonant sounds.

Examples

Stops

• labialized voiceless alveolar stop <phonos file="Labialized voiceless alveolar plosive.ogg">[tʷ]</phonos> (in Archi, Abkhaz, Lao, Paha, Ubykh)
• labialized voiced alveolar stop <phonos file="Labialized voiced alveolar plosive.ogg">[dʷ]</phonos> (in Archi, Abkhaz, Ubykh)
• labialized voiceless velar stop <phonos file="Labialized voiceless velar plosive.ogg">[kʷ]</phonos> (in Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Kabardian, Taos, Chipewyan, Hadza, Gwich’in, Tlingit, Akan, Nez Perce, Archi, Cantonese, Wari’, Chaha, Dahalo, Hausa, Igbo, Italian, Lao, Nahuatl, Paha, Thai, Tigrinya, Hiw, Ubykh)
• labialized voiced velar stop (<phonos file="Labialized voiced velar plosive.ogg">[ɡʷ]</phonos> (in Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Akan, Archi, Chaha, Dahalo, Hausa, Oowekyala, Hadza, Igbo, Gwich’in, Kabardian, Paha, Tigrinya, Ubykh)
• labialized voiceless uvular stop (<phonos file="Labialized voiceless uvular plosive.ogg">[qʷ]</phonos> (in Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Kabardian, Paha, Tlingit, Nez Perce, Ubykh)
• labialized pharyngealized voiceless uvular stop [qˤʷ] (in Archi Ubykh)
• labialized voiced uvular stop (<phonos file="Labialized voiced uvular plosive.ogg">[ɢʷ]</phonos> (in Oowekyala, Kwak'wala, Tsakhur)
• labialized glottal stop (<phonos file="Labialized glottal stop.ogg">[ʔʷ]</phonos> (in Adyghe, Kabardian, Lao, Tlingit)
• labialized voiceless bilabial stop (<phonos file="Labialized voiceless bilabial plosive.ogg">[pʷ]</phonos> (in Chaha, Paha)
• labialized voiced bilabial stop (<phonos file="Labialized voiced bilabial plosive.ogg">[bʷ]</phonos> (in Chaha, Paha)
• labialized prenasalized voiced bilabial plosive [ᵐbʷ] (in Tamambo)

Labial–velar

• labialized voiceless labio–velar stop <phonos file="Labialized voiceless labio–velar stop.ogg">[k͡pʷ]</phonos> (in Dorig, Mwotlap)
• labialized prenasalized voiced labial–velar stop <phonos file="Labialized prenasalized voiced labial–velar stop.ogg">[ᵑɡ͡bʷ]</phonos> (in Volow)

Affricates

Sibilant affricates

• labialized voiceless alveolar affricate <phonos file="Labialized voiceless alveolar affricate.ogg">[tsʷ]</phonos> (in Adyghe, Archi, Lezgian, Tsakhur)
• labialized voiced alveolar affricate <phonos file="Labialized voiced alveolar affricate.ogg">[dzʷ]</phonos> (in Adyghe, Dahalo)
• labialized voiceless palato-alveolar affricate <phonos file="Labialized voiceless palato-alveolar affricate.ogg">[tʃʷ]</phonos> (in Archi, Abaza, Adyghe, Paha, Aghul, German)
• labialized voiced palato-alveolar affricate <phonos file="Labialized voiced palato-alveolar affricate.ogg">[dʒʷ]</phonos> (in Abaza, Aghul, Tsakhur, German)
• labialized voiceless alveolo-palatal affricate [tɕʷ] (in Abkhaz, Akan, Ubykh)
• labialized voiced alveolo-palatal affricate [dʑʷ] (in Abkhaz, Akan, Ubykh)

Non-sibilant affricates

• labialized voiceless velar affricate <phonos file="Labialized voiceless velar affricate.ogg">[kxʷ]</phonos> (in Navajo)
• labialized voiceless uvular affricate <phonos file="Labialized voiceless uvular affricate.ogg">[qχʷ]</phonos> (in Kabardian, Lillooet)

Lateral affricates

• labialized voiceless velar lateral affricate <phonos file="Labialized voiceless velar lateral affricate.ogg">[k͡ʟ̝̊ʷ]</phonos> (in Archi)

Fricatives

Sibilant fricatives

• labialized voiceless alveolar sibilant <phonos file="Labialized voiceless alveolar sibilant1.ogg">[sʷ]</phonos> (in Archi, Lao, Lezgian)
• labialized voiced alveolar sibilant <phonos file="Labialized voiced alveolar sibilant.ogg">[zʷ]</phonos> (in Archi, Tsakhur, Lezgian)
• labialized voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant <phonos file="Labialized voiceless alveolar sibilant.ogg">[ʃʷ]</phonos> (in Archi, Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Paha, Aghul, Ubykh)
• labialized voiced palato-alveolar sibilant <phonos file="Labialized voiced palato-alveolar sibilant.ogg">[ʒʷ]</phonos> (in Archi, Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Aghul, Ubykh)
• labialized voiceless retroflex sibilant <phonos file="Labialized voiceless retroflex sibilant.ogg">[ʂʷ]</phonos> (in Bzhedug)
• labialized voiced retroflex sibilant <phonos file="Labialized voiced retroflex sibilant.ogg">[ʐʷ]</phonos> (in Bzhedug)
• labialized voiceless alveolo-palatal sibilant <phonos file="Labialized voiceless alveolo-palatal sibilant.ogg">[ɕʷ]</phonos> (in Abkhaz, Ubykh)
• labialized voiced alveolo-palatal sibilant <phonos file="Labialized voiced alveolo-palatal sibilant.ogg">[ʑʷ]</phonos> (in Abkhaz, Ubykh)

Central non-sibilant fricatives

• labialized voiceless bilabial fricative [ɸʷ]
• labialized voiced bilabial fricative [βʷ] (in Tamambo)
• labialized voiceless labiodental fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiceless labiodental fricative.ogg">[fʷ]</phonos> (in Hadza, Chaha)
• labialized voiced labiodental fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiced labiodental fricative.ogg">[vʷ]</phonos>)
• labialized voiceless dental fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiceless dental fricative.ogg">[θʷ]</phonos> (in Paha)
• labialized voiced dental fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiced dental fricative.ogg">[ðʷ]</phonos> (in Paha)
• labialized voiceless palatal fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiceless palatal fricative.ogg">[çʷ]</phonos> (in Akan)
• labialized voiceless velar fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiceless velar fricative.ogg">[xʷ]</phonos> (in Abaza, Adyghe, Avestan, Chaha, Kabardian, Oowekyala, Taos, Navajo, Tigrinya, Lillooet, Tlingit)
• labialized voiced velar fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiced velar fricative.ogg">[ɣʷ]</phonos> (in Abaza, Navajo, Lillooet, Gwich’in)
• labialized voiceless uvular fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiceless uvular fricative.ogg">[χʷ]</phonos> (in Abkhaz, Adyghe, Archi, Kabardian, Lillooet, Tlingit, Wari’, Chipewyan, Oowekyala, Ubykh)
• labialized pharyngealized voiceless uvular fricative [χˤʷ] (in Abkhaz, Archi, Ubykh)
• labialized voiced uvular fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiced uvular fricative.ogg">[ʁʷ]</phonos> (in Abkhaz, Adyghe, Chipewyan, Kabardian, Ubykh)
• labialized pharyngealized voiced uvular fricative [ʁˤʷ] (in Archi, Ubykh)
• labialized voiceless pharyngeal fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiceless pharyngeal fricative.ogg">[ħʷ]</phonos> (in Abaza, Abkhaz)
• labialized voiced pharyngeal fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiced pharyngeal fricative.ogg">[ʕʷ]</phonos> (in Abaza, Lillooet)

Pseudo-fricatives

• labialized voiceless glottal fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiceless glottal fricative.ogg">[hʷ]</phonos> (in Akan, Tlingit, Tsakhur)

Lateral fricatives

• labialized voiceless alveolar lateral fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiceless alveolar lateral fricative.ogg">[ɬʷ]</phonos> (in Dahalo)
• labialized voiceless velar lateral fricative <phonos file="Labialized voiceless velar lateral fricative.ogg">[ʟ̝̊ʷ]</phonos> (in Archi)

Nasals

• labialized bilabial nasal <phonos file="Labialized bilabial nasal.ogg">[mʷ]</phonos> (in Chaha, Paha, Tamambo)
• labialized palatal nasal [ɲʷ] (in Akan)
• labialized velar nasal [ŋʷ] (in Akan, Avestan, Lao, Hiw)
• labialized labial-velar nasal [ŋ͡mʷ] (in Dorig, Mwotlap)

Approximants

• labialized alveolar lateral approximant <phonos file="Labialized alveolar lateral approximant.ogg">[lʷ]</phonos> (in Lao)
• labialized palatal approximant [ɥ] <phonos file="Labial-palatal approximant.ogg">[jʷ]</phonos> (in Abkhaz, Akan, French, Mandarin, Paha)
• Labio-velar approximant (voiced) [w] (widespread; in every above-mentioned language, as well as e.g. Arabic, English, Korean, Vietnamese)
• Voiceless labio-velar approximant [ʍ] (in certain dialects of English)
• nasal labialized velar approximant [w̃]

Ejectives

• labialized bilabial ejective <phonos file="labialized bilabial ejective.ogg">[pʷʼ]</phonos> (In Adyghe)
• labialized alveolar ejective <phonos file="labialized alveolar ejective.ogg">[tʷʼ]</phonos> (in Abkhaz, Adyghe, Ubykh)
• labialized velar ejective <phonos file="labialized velar ejective.ogg">[kʷʼ]</phonos> (in Abaza, Abkhaz, Adyghe, Archi, Kabardian, Tlingit, Ubykh)
• labialized palato-alveolar ejective fricative <phonos file="labialized palato-alveolar ejective fricative.ogg">[ʃʷʼ]</phonos> (in Adyghe)
• labialized uvular ejective <phonos file="labialized uvular ejective.ogg">[qʷʼ]</phonos> (in Abaza, Abkhaz, Archi, Hakuchi, Tlingit, Ubykh)
• labialized pharyngealized uvular ejective [qˤʷʼ] (in Archi, Ubykh)
• labialized alveolar ejective affricate [t͡sʷʼ] (in Archi)
• labialized palato-alveolar ejective affricate [t͡ʃʷʼ] (in Abaza, Archi)
• labialized alveolo-palatal ejective affricate [t͡ɕʷʼ] (in Abkhaz, Ubykh)
• labialized velar lateral ejective affricate [k͡ʟ̝̊ʷʼ] (in Archi)
• labialized velar ejective fricative [xʷʼ] (in Tlingit)
• labialized uvular ejective fricative [χʷʼ] (in Tlingit)

Bibliography

• Crowley, Terry. (1997) An Introduction to Historical Linguistics. 3rd edition. Oxford University Press.