Denasal
Encyclopedia
In phonetics
, denasalization is the loss of nasal airflow in a nasal stop
or nasal vowel
. This may be due to speech pathology, but also occurs when the sinuses
are blocked from a cold, in which case it is called a 'nasal voice
'. (The latter is not a linguistic term.) The symbol for this in the Extended IPA is ⟨◌͊⟩.
When speaking with a head cold, the nasal passages
still function as a resonant cavity, so a denasalized nasal stop [m͊] does not sound like a voiced oral stop [b], and a denasalized vowel [a͊] does not sound like an oral vowel [a].
However, there are cases of historical or allophonic denasalization which have produced oral stops. In some languages with nasal vowels, such as Paicĩ
, nasal stops may occur only before nasal vowels; while before oral vowels, prenasalized stops are found. This allophonic variation is likely to be due to a historical process of partial denasalization. Similarly, several languages around Puget Sound
underwent a process of denasalization about one century ago: Except in special speech registers, such as baby talk
, the nasal stops [m, n] became the voiced oral stops [b, d]. It appears from historical records that there was an intermediate stage when these stops were prenasalized [ᵐb, ⁿd].
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...
, denasalization is the loss of nasal airflow in a nasal stop
Nasal consonant
A nasal consonant is a type of consonant produced with a lowered velum in the mouth, allowing air to escape freely through the nose. Examples of nasal consonants in English are and , in words such as nose and mouth.- Definition :...
or 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...
. This may be due to speech pathology, but also occurs when the sinuses
Paranasal sinus
Paranasal sinuses are a group of four paired air-filled spaces that surround the nasal cavity , above and between the eyes , and behind the ethmoids...
are blocked from a cold, in which case it is called a 'nasal voice
Nasal voice
A nasal voice is a type of speaking voice characterized by speech with a "nasal" quality to it. It can also occur naturally because of genetic variation...
'. (The latter is not a linguistic term.) The symbol for this in the Extended IPA is ⟨◌͊⟩.
When speaking with a head cold, the nasal passages
Nasal cavity
The nasal cavity is a large air filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face.- Function :The nasal cavity conditions the air to be received by the other areas of the respiratory tract...
still function as a resonant cavity, so a denasalized nasal stop [m͊] does not sound like a voiced oral stop [b], and a denasalized vowel [a͊] does not sound like an oral vowel [a].
However, there are cases of historical or allophonic denasalization which have produced oral stops. In some languages with nasal vowels, such as Paicĩ
Paici language
The Paicî language is the most widely spoken of the two dozen languages on the main island of New Caledonia. It is spoken in a band across the center of the island.-Phonology:...
, nasal stops may occur only before nasal vowels; while before oral vowels, prenasalized stops are found. This allophonic variation is likely to be due to a historical process of partial denasalization. Similarly, several languages around Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
underwent a process of denasalization about one century ago: Except in special speech registers, such as baby talk
Baby talk
Baby talk, also referred to as caretaker speech, infant-directed speech or child-directed speech and informally as "motherese", "parentese", "mommy talk", or "daddy talk" is a nonstandard form of speech used by adults in talking to toddlers and infants.It is usually delivered with a "cooing"...
, the nasal stops [m, n] became the voiced oral stops [b, d]. It appears from historical records that there was an intermediate stage when these stops were prenasalized [ᵐb, ⁿd].