Voiced labiodental nasal

A voiced labiodental nasal is a type of consonantal sound. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is Template:Angbr IPA. The IPA symbol is a lowercase letter m with a leftward hook protruding from the lower right of the letter. Occasionally it is instead transcribed as an {{#invoke:IPA|main}} with a dental diacritic: Template:Angbr IPA (for example in extIPA, where the two transcriptions are presented as variants).<ref>Duckworth et al. (1990) Extensions to the International Phonetic Alphabet for the transcription of atypical speech. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics 4: 4: 276.</ref>

A labiodental pronunciation of {{#invoke:IPA|main}} is very similar to that of the bilabial nasal {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, but instead of the lips touching each other, the lower lip touches the upper teeth. The position of the lips and teeth is generally the same as for the production of the labiodental fricatives {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, though air escapes between the lip and the teeth in the case of the fricatives.

Although commonly appearing in languages, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} is overwhelmingly an allophone restricted to a position before the labiodental consonants {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. A phonemic {{#invoke:IPA|main}} has only been reported for the Kukuya language, where it contrasts with {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and is "accompanied by strong protrusion of both lips". It is {{#invoke:IPA|main}} before {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}} before {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, perhaps because labialization is constrained by the spread front vowels; it does not occur before the back (rounded) vowels {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>

It is doubted by some scholars that true closure can be made by a labiodental gesture because of gaps between the incisors, which for many speakers would allow air to flow during the occlusion.<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>Template:Clarify This is particularly pertinent considering that one of the Kukuya words with this consonant, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, means a 'gap between filed incisors,'<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref> a practice of the local people.Template:Clarify The {{#invoke:IPA|main}} might therefore be better characterized as a labiodental nasal approximant than as a nasal occlusive.Template:Cn

Nonetheless, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} is extremely common around the world phonetically, as it is the universal allophone of {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and a very common allophone of {{#invoke:IPA|main}} before the labiodental fricatives {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, as for example in English comfort and circumvent, and, for many people, infinitive and invent. In the Angami language, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} occurs as an allophone of {{#invoke:IPA|main}} before {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. In Drubea, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} is reported as an allophone of {{#invoke:IPA|main}} before nasal vowels.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

A proposal to retire the letter Template:Angbr IPA was made in the run-up to the Kiel Convention of 1989, with the labiodental nasal to be transcribed solely by Template:Angbr IPA, but the proposal was defeated in committee.<ref>Heselwood (2013) Phonetic transcription in theory and practice</ref><ref>JIPA 18(2) p.85.</ref> A recommendation by extIPA was retired soon afterwards in response.

Features

Features of a voiced labiodental nasal:

Occurrence

Phonemic {{#invoke:IPA|main}} is extremely rare. As an allophone of nasal consonants before {{#invoke:IPA|main}} or {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, however, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} is very common.

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Arabic	Hejazi	lang}} Template:Transliteration	main}}	'clove'	See Hejazi Arabic phonology
Catalan		lang}}	main}}	'lymph'	See Catalan phonology
Czech		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'tram'	See Czech phonology
Danish		lang}}	main}}	'symphony'	See Danish phonology
Dutch<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref><ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'to fall over'	See Dutch phonology
English		symphony	Template:Audio-IPA	'symphony'	Allophone of Template:IPAslink before Template:IPAslink and Template:IPAslink See English phonology.
Finnish		lang}}	main}}	'camphor'	See Finnish phonology
German		lang}}	main}}	'five'	See German phonology
Greek<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}} Template:Transliteration	main}}	'embryo'	Learned or careful pronunciation. See Modern Greek phonology
Hebrew		lang}} Template:Transliteration	main}}	'symphony'	See Modern Hebrew phonology
Hungarian		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'head of state'	See Hungarian phonology
Indonesian		lang}}	main}}	'conflict'	Allophone of Template:IPAslink before Template:IPAslink.
Italian<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'instead'	See Italian phonology
Kukuya<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		{{#invoke:IPA|main}}		'eyes'	main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.
Macedonian		lang}} {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	main}}	'tram'	See Macedonian phonology
Norwegian		lang}}	main}}	'stove'	See Norwegian phonology
Polish		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'symphony'	See Polish phonology
Romanian		lang}}	main}}	'to learn'	See Romanian phonology
Russian		lang}} Template:Transliteration	main}}	'amphora'	See Russian phonology
Serbo-Croatian<ref name="Landau68">Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	main}}	'tram'	Allophone of Template:IPAslink and Template:IPAslink before Template:IPAslink and Template:IPAslink.<ref name="Landau68"/> See Serbo-Croatian phonology
Slovene<ref name="SuKoPe136">Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'symphony'	Allophone of Template:IPAslink and Template:IPAslink before Template:IPAslink and Template:IPAslink.<ref name="SuKoPe136"/>
Spanish<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'to deflate'	See Spanish phonology
Swedish		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'in front of', 'performs'	See Swedish phonology
West Frisian		lang}}	main}}	'unsure'	main}} before labiodental sounds.
Yuanmen		lang}}	main}}	'wear'	main}}.<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>

See also

• Index of phonetics articles

Bibliography

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External links

• Template:Phoible