Voiced velar lateral approximant
Consonantal sound represented by ⟨ʟ⟩ in IPA
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A voiced velar lateral approximant is a type of consonantal sound, used as a distinct consonant in a very small number[1] of spoken languages in the world. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that has represented this sound since 1989 is ⟨ʟ⟩, a small capital letter l.
| Voiced velar lateral approximant | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ʟ | |||
| IPA number | 158 | ||
| Audio sample | |||
| Encoding | |||
| Entity (decimal) | ʟ | ||
| Unicode (hex) | U+029F | ||
| X-SAMPA | L\ | ||
| Braille |   | ||
| |||
L\_-| Voiced uvular lateral approximant | |
|---|---|
| ʟ̠ | |
| IPA number | 158 414 |
| Audio sample | |
| Encoding | |
| X-SAMPA | L\_- |
Velar laterals often involve a prestopped realization [ᶢʟ].[2]
According to Ladefoged & Maddieson (1996), the extremely short duration of /ʟ/ in intervocalic position (20–30 ms) in some of the languages in New Guinea, such as Kanite and Melpa, warrants calling it a voiced velar lateral tap.[3] The IPA has no specific symbol for this sound, but it may be represented with a breve for extra-short, such as ⟨ʟ̆⟩, to indicate a tapped consonant.
It is reported that some dialects of English may have a voiced uvular lateral approximant,[4] which can be represented in the IPA as ⟨ʟ̠⟩ (a retracted ⟨ʟ⟩), though evidence of this consonant is limited.
Features
Features of a voiced velar lateral approximant:
- Its manner of articulation is approximant, which means it is produced by narrowing the vocal tract at the place of articulation, but not enough to produce a turbulent airstream.
- Its place of articulation is velar, which means it is articulated with the back of the tongue (the dorsum) at the soft palate.
- Its phonation is voiced, which means the vocal cords vibrate during the articulation.
- It is an oral consonant, which means that air is not allowed to escape through the nose.
- It is a lateral consonant, which means it is produced by directing the airstream over the sides of the tongue, rather than down the middle.
- Its airstream mechanism is pulmonic, which means it is articulated by pushing air only with the intercostal muscles and abdominal muscles, as in most sounds.
A velar lateral [ʟ] involves no contact of the tip of the tongue with the roof of the mouth: just like for a velar stop [ɡ], the only contact takes place between the back of the tongue and the velum. This contrasts with a velarized alveolar lateral approximant [ɫ] – also known as the dark l in English feel [fiːɫ] – for which the apex touches the alveolar ridge.[5]
Occurrence
Velar
| Language | Word | IPA | Meaning | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Southern US[6] | middle | [ˈmɪɾʟ̩] | 'middle' | May occur before or after a velar consonant, as in milk and cycle, when assimilating /ʊ/, as in wolf, or before labial consonants, as in help. More often realized as [ɫ]. See English phonology |
| full | [ˈfʟ̩ː] | 'full' | |||
| Hiw[7] | r̄evr̄ov | [ɡ͡ʟəβˈɡ͡ʟɔβ] | 'evening' | May be realized as prestopped [ᶢʟ], affricate [ɡʟ̝], or laterally released stop [ɡᶫ]. | |
| Kanite[8][3] | kala | [kaʟ̆a] | 'dog' | May be realized as an affricate [ɡʟ̝] or a tap [ʟ̆]. | |
| Melpa[9] | paⱡa | ⓘ | 'fence' | May be realized as prestopped [ᶢʟ] or tapped [ʟ̆]. | |
| Mid-Wahgi[10] | aglagle | [aʟaʟe] | 'dizzy' | May be realized as prestopped [ᶢʟ]. | |