Advanced tongue root
Encyclopedia
In phonetics
, advanced tongue root and retracted tongue root, abbreviated ATR or RTR, are contrasting states of the root of the tongue
during the pronunciation of vowel
s in some languages, especially in West Africa, but also in Kazakh
and Mongolian
. It has in the past been suggested that this may also be the basis of the distinction of tense and lax vowels
in European languages such as German, but this no longer seems tenable.
by moving the base of the tongue forward — and often lowering the larynx
— during the pronunciation of a vowel. The lowering of the larynx sometimes adds a breathy
quality to the vowel.
The International Phonetic Alphabet
represents ATR with a "left tack" diacritic
, [ ̘].
In languages where they occur, advanced-tongue-root vowels very often contrast with retracted tongue root (RTR) vowels in a system of vowel harmony
. This occurs commonly in large parts of West Africa
.
ATR vowels involve a certain tension in the tongue, and often in the lips
and jaw as well; the ear can often perceive this tension as a "brightness" (narrow formant
s) compared to RTR vowels. Nonetheless, phoneticians do not refer to ATR vowels as tense vowels, since the word tense
already has several meanings in European phonetics.
The diacritic for RTR in the International Phonetic Alphabet
is the right tack, [ ̙].
RTR vowels are often called "lax", but this is not consistent between languages or even between vowels in the same language.
, have systems of vowel harmony
based on tongue root position. This is illustrated here with the Fante
dialect of Akan
, which has fifteen vowels: five +ATR vowels, five −ATR vowels, and five nasal vowel
s.
There are two harmonization rules that govern which vowels may co-occur in a word:
In the Twi
dialect, the ±ATR distinction has merged in the low vowel, so that /a/ is harmonically neutral, occurring with either set of vowels. In addition, the two vowels written e (/e̘/ and /i/) and o (/o̘/ and /u/) are often not distinguished, being approximately equivalent to European [e] and [o], as reflected in the orthography; for such people the second harmonization rule does not apply.
at the end of the twentieth century, new types of phonation
were discovered, which involve more of the larynx
than just the glottis
. One of the few languages studied thus far, the Togolese language Kabiyé
, had a vocalic distinction that was assumed to be one of tongue root. However, it turned out to be a phonation distinction of faucalized voice
versus harsh voice
.
It is not yet clear whether this is characteristic of ±ATR distinctions in general.
Phonetics
Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech, or—in the case of sign languages—the equivalent aspects of sign. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs : their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory...
, advanced tongue root and retracted tongue root, abbreviated ATR or RTR, are contrasting states of the root of the tongue
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular hydrostat on the floors of the mouths of most vertebrates which manipulates food for mastication. It is the primary organ of taste , as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly...
during the pronunciation of vowel
Vowel
In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
s in some languages, especially in West Africa, but also in Kazakh
Kazakh language
Kazakh is a Turkic language which belongs to the Kipchak branch of the Turkic languages, closely related to Nogai and Karakalpak....
and Mongolian
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
. It has in the past been suggested that this may also be the basis of the distinction of tense and lax vowels
Tenseness
In phonology, tenseness is a particular vowel quality that is phonemically contrastive in many languages, including English. It has also occasionally been used to describe contrasts in consonants. Unlike most distinctive features, the feature [tense] can be interpreted only relatively, that is, in...
in European languages such as German, but this no longer seems tenable.
Advanced tongue root
Advanced tongue root, abbreviated ATR or +ATR, also called expanded, involves the expansion of the pharyngeal cavityPharynx
The human pharynx is the part of the throat situated immediately posterior to the mouth and nasal cavity, and anterior to the esophagus and larynx. The human pharynx is conventionally divided into three sections: the nasopharynx , the oropharynx , and the laryngopharynx...
by moving the base of the tongue forward — and often lowering the larynx
Larynx
The larynx , commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the neck of amphibians, reptiles and mammals involved in breathing, sound production, and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. It manipulates pitch and volume...
— during the pronunciation of a vowel. The lowering of the larynx sometimes adds a breathy
Breathy voice
Breathy voice is a phonation in which the vocal cords vibrate, as they do in normal voicing, but are held further apart, so that a larger volume of air escapes between them. This produces an audible noise...
quality to the vowel.
The International Phonetic Alphabet
International Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Alphabet "The acronym 'IPA' strictly refers [...] to the 'International Phonetic Association'. But it is now such a common practice to use the acronym also to refer to the alphabet itself that resistance seems pedantic...
represents ATR with a "left tack" diacritic
Diacritic
A diacritic is a glyph added to a letter, or basic glyph. The term derives from the Greek διακριτικός . Diacritic is both an adjective and a noun, whereas diacritical is only an adjective. Some diacritical marks, such as the acute and grave are often called accents...
, [ ̘].
In languages where they occur, advanced-tongue-root vowels very often contrast with retracted tongue root (RTR) vowels in a system of vowel harmony
Vowel harmony
Vowel harmony is a type of long-distance assimilatory phonological process involving vowels that occurs in some languages. In languages with vowel harmony, there are constraints on which vowels may be found near each other....
. This occurs commonly in large parts of West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
.
ATR vowels involve a certain tension in the tongue, and often in the lips
Lip
Lips are a visible body part at the mouth of humans and many animals. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech...
and jaw as well; the ear can often perceive this tension as a "brightness" (narrow formant
Formant
Formants are defined by Gunnar Fant as 'the spectral peaks of the sound spectrum |P|' of the voice. In speech science and phonetics, formant is also used to mean an acoustic resonance of the human vocal tract...
s) compared to RTR vowels. Nonetheless, phoneticians do not refer to ATR vowels as tense vowels, since the word tense
Tenseness
In phonology, tenseness is a particular vowel quality that is phonemically contrastive in many languages, including English. It has also occasionally been used to describe contrasts in consonants. Unlike most distinctive features, the feature [tense] can be interpreted only relatively, that is, in...
already has several meanings in European phonetics.
Retracted tongue root
Retracted tongue root, abbreviated RTR or −ATR, is either- the neutral position of the tongue during the pronunciation of a vowel, contrasting with advanced tongue root, or
- the retraction of the base of the tongue in the pharynx during the pronunciation of a vowel, the opposite articulation of advanced tongue root. In this case it is in effect partial pharyngealization, although it may also contrast with full pharyngealization.
The diacritic for RTR in the International Phonetic Alphabet
International Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Alphabet "The acronym 'IPA' strictly refers [...] to the 'International Phonetic Association'. But it is now such a common practice to use the acronym also to refer to the alphabet itself that resistance seems pedantic...
is the right tack, [ ̙].
RTR vowels are often called "lax", but this is not consistent between languages or even between vowels in the same language.
Tongue root position and vowel harmony
As mentioned above, many African languages, such as MaasaiMaasai language
The Maasai language is an Eastern Nilotic language spoken in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania by the Maasai people, numbering about 800,000...
, have systems of vowel harmony
Vowel harmony
Vowel harmony is a type of long-distance assimilatory phonological process involving vowels that occurs in some languages. In languages with vowel harmony, there are constraints on which vowels may be found near each other....
based on tongue root position. This is illustrated here with the Fante
Fante language
Fante is one of the three formal languages of the Akan language. It is the major local language spoken in the Central and Western Regions of Ghana as well as in settlements in other regions from mid to southern Ghana. One of such communities is Fante New Town in Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region of...
dialect of Akan
Akan language
Akan, also known as Twi and Fante, is an Akan language that is the principal native language of Ghana, spoken over much of the southern half of that country, by about 52% of the population, and to a lesser extent across the border in eastern Côte d'Ivoire...
, which has fifteen vowels: five +ATR vowels, five −ATR vowels, and five nasal vowel
Nasal vowel
A nasal vowel is a vowel that is produced with a lowering of the velum so that air escapes both through nose as well as the mouth. By contrast, oral vowels are ordinary vowels without this nasalisation...
s.
| Ortho- graphy | +ATR value | −ATR value | Approx. European equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | /i̘/ | [i] | |
| e | /e̘/ | /i/ | [e], [ɪ] |
| ɛ | /e/ | [ɛ] | |
| a | /a̘/ | /a/ | [æ], [ɑ] |
| ɔ | /o/ | [ɔ] | |
| o | /o̘/ | /u/ | [o], [ʊ] |
| u | /u̘/ | [u] |
There are two harmonization rules that govern which vowels may co-occur in a word:
- All −ATR vowels become +ATR when followed by a peripheral +ATR vowel (/i̘ a̘ u̘/). That is, orthographic become before and sometimes before .
- As long as it does not conflict with the previous rule, the +ATR mid vowels (/e̘ o̘/) become −ATR high vowels (/i u/) when preceded by a −ATR non-high vowel (/e a o/). (This is not reflected in the orthography, for underlying and surface vowels are both spelled .)
In the Twi
Twi
Asante, or Ashanti, is one of three literary dialects of the Akan language of southern Ghana, and the prestige dialect of that language. It is spoken in and around Kumasi, the capital of the former Ashanti Empire and current subnational Asante Kingdom within Ghana.Along with the Akuapem dialect,...
dialect, the ±ATR distinction has merged in the low vowel, so that /a/ is harmonically neutral, occurring with either set of vowels. In addition, the two vowels written e (/e̘/ and /i/) and o (/o̘/ and /u/) are often not distinguished, being approximately equivalent to European [e] and [o], as reflected in the orthography; for such people the second harmonization rule does not apply.
Tongue root and phonation
With advances in fiber-optic laryngoscopyLaryngoscopy
Laryngoscopy is a medical procedure that is used to obtain a view of the vocal folds and the glottis. Laryngoscopy may be performed to facilitate tracheal intubation during general anesthesia or cardiopulmonary resuscitation or for procedures on the larynx or other parts of the upper...
at the end of the twentieth century, new types of phonation
Phonation
Phonation has slightly different meanings depending on the subfield of phonetics. Among some phoneticians, phonation is the process by which the vocal folds produce certain sounds through quasi-periodic vibration. This is the definition used among those who study laryngeal anatomy and physiology...
were discovered, which involve more of the larynx
Larynx
The larynx , commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the neck of amphibians, reptiles and mammals involved in breathing, sound production, and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. It manipulates pitch and volume...
than just the glottis
Glottis
The glottis is defined as the combination of the vocal folds and the space in between the folds .-Function:...
. One of the few languages studied thus far, the Togolese language Kabiyé
Kabiyé language
Kabiyè is a Grusi language spoken primarily in northern Togo, and also by smaller numbers of people in Benin and Ghana. It is one of two national languages of Togo.-References:-External links:**...
, had a vocalic distinction that was assumed to be one of tongue root. However, it turned out to be a phonation distinction of faucalized voice
Faucalized voice
Faucalized voice, also called hollow or yawny voice, is the production of speech sounds with an expanded laryngeal cavity. It contrasts with harsh voice, in which the larynx is compressed....
versus harsh voice
Harsh voice
Harsh voice, also called ventricular voice or pressed voice, is the production of speech sounds with a constricted laryngeal cavity, which generally involves epiglottal co-articulation...
.
It is not yet clear whether this is characteristic of ±ATR distinctions in general.