Palatal ejective stop

Palatal ejective stop is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) that represents this sound is ⟨cʼ⟩. It is a consonant that is articulated with the tongue against the hard palate and with a simultaneous ejective glottal airflow mechanism.

Articulation

The articulation of the palatal ejective stop involves two major components: the place of articulation and the manner of articulation. The place of articulation is the hard palate, which is the bony part of the roof of the mouth. The manner of articulation is ejective, which means the sound is produced by pushing air out of the mouth using the glottis rather than the lungs. This is achieved by raising the glottis and then releasing it, which creates a sharp burst of air through the oral cavity.

Characteristics

• Place of Articulation: Palatal. This means the sound is produced by obstructing the airstream with the body of the tongue against the hard palate.
• Manner of Articulation: Ejective. This involves a rapid release of the glottis while the articulators at the place of articulation remain closed, causing the air trapped between the glottis and the articulators to be expelled forcefully.
• Voicing: Voiceless. Palatal ejectives are produced without vibration of the vocal cords.

Occurrence

Palatal ejective stops are found in languages such as Georgian, certain Caucasian languages, and some African languages. In these languages, the sound contributes to phonemic contrasts and can be an important part of the phonological system.

Phonetic Notation

In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), the palatal ejective stop is represented by the symbol ⟨cʼ⟩. This notation is consistent across languages that feature this sound, providing a standardized way to denote the specific articulation and ejective nature of the consonant.

Examples

• Georgian: კაცი k'atsi [cʼɑt͡si] "man"
• Quechua: q'apuy [cʼɑˈpuj] "to choke"

See Also

• Ejective consonant
• Place of articulation
• Manner of articulation
• International Phonetic Alphabet