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Glite Dictionary
🗣️ Related to epiglottis 👄 A throat sound
epiglottal

epiglottal

9.9
A consonant sound made by narrowing the throat near the epiglottis
  • noun
  • /ˌɛpɪˈɡlɑtəl/
  • Specialized
: consonante epiglotal
  • Producing an epiglottal requires precise control of the throat muscles.

Examples

  • The rare language includes an epiglottal that is difficult for most speakers to pronounce.

  • Linguists recorded the use of an epiglottal in several indigenous dialects.

  • The epiglottal sounds are unique to certain languages.

  • Can you hear the epiglottal articulation in that word?

  • The rare language includes an epiglottal consonant that is difficult for most speakers to pronounce.

  • Linguists recorded the use of an epiglottal sound in several indigenous dialects.

  • Producing an epiglottal consonant requires precise control of the throat muscles.

Surface Forms

epiglottal singular
epiglottals plural

Morphology

epiglottal = epiglottis (transparent) = epiglottis + al

The adjective is a regular suffixal derivation from the noun 'epiglottis', so its meaning 'relating to the epiglottis' is directly recoverable.

Etymology

Epiglottal comes from epiglottis, the small flap in the throat, with epi- 'above' and glottis 'voice opening'. So an epiglottal is a consonant made by using that flap area, which is why it feels like a deep throat sound and can be hard to pronounce.