Subapical consonant

Subapical consonant refers to a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. The term "subapical" describes the primary articulation of these sounds, which involves the underside (or subapex) of the tongue rather than the tip (apex). This articulatory feature distinguishes subapical consonants from the more common apical consonants, which are produced with the tip of the tongue.

Articulation

In the production of subapical consonants, the underside of the tongue makes contact with the roof of the mouth. Depending on the specific area of the roof of the mouth involved in this contact, subapical consonants can be further classified into different subcategories, such as retroflex consonants and palatal consonants. Retroflex subapical consonants, for example, are articulated with the tongue curled back towards the palate, making them distinct from palatal consonants, which are produced by raising the body of the tongue towards the hard palate.

Distribution

Subapical consonants are relatively rare in the world's languages. They are most prominently found in the Dravidian languages of southern India, such as Tamil and Kannada, as well as in some Australian Aboriginal languages. In these languages, subapical articulation can occur in a variety of consonantal types, including stops, nasals, and laterals.

Phonetic Notation

In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), subapical consonants are not explicitly marked as such. Instead, their articulation is typically inferred from the context of other phonetic descriptors. For example, retroflex consonants are often assumed to be subapical in languages where this type of articulation is known to occur.

Comparison with Other Articulations

Subapical consonants contrast with other types of consonantal articulations, such as dental consonants, alveolar consonants, and velar consonants, based on the part of the tongue used and the point of contact in the mouth. This contrast is not only phonetic but can also have phonological implications, affecting the way sounds interact and are organized within a particular language.

See Also

• Consonant
• Place of articulation
• Manner of articulation
• Retroflex consonant
• Linguistics