Voiced epiglottal trill

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Voiced epiglottal trill is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. It is characterized by the trilling or vibrating of the epiglottis in the larynx, while the vocal cords are voiced. This sound is not common in the world's languages and is considered to be among the rarer phonetic phenomena.

Characteristics

The voiced epiglottal trill is produced by the airstream mechanism known as egressive air flow, which means the air is pushed outwards from the lungs. The articulation involves the epiglottis vibrating against the arytenoid cartilages in the larynx. This sound is distinct from the more common uvular trill and glottal stop, as it specifically involves the epiglottis, a leaf-shaped flap of cartilage located behind the root of the tongue at the entrance of the larynx.

Articulation

To articulate this sound, the epiglottis is brought into a position where it can vibrate against the arytenoids. This is achieved by retracting the tongue root and lowering the larynx, creating a space that allows the epiglottis to move freely. The voicing is simultaneous, produced by the vibration of the vocal cords.

Occurrence

The voiced epiglottal trill is rare among the world's languages. It is sometimes found in languages of the Caucasus region, certain African languages, and some indigenous languages of the Americas. However, its presence is often sporadic and not considered a phonemic sound in many of these languages, but rather an allophonic variation or a phonetic detail.

Phonetic Notation

In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), the voiced epiglottal trill does not have a dedicated symbol. It is often represented by the symbol for the voiced epiglottal fricative ⟨ʢ⟩ with a trill diacritic, or simply described in phonetic notes accompanying the transcription.

See Also

• Epiglottal consonant
• Trill consonant
• Phonetics
• List of phonetic topics