{{Short description|Consonantal sound represented by ⟨ʟ⟩ in IPA}} {{distinguish|Voiced velarized alveolar lateral approximant}} {{redirect|Uvular lateral|the ejective affricate|Uvular lateral ejective affricate}} {{Infobox IPA |ipa symbol=ʟ |ipa number=158 |decimal=671 |x-sampa=L\ |braille=in |braille2=l |imagefile=IPA Unicode 0x029F.svg }} {{Infobox IPA |ipa symbol=ʟ̆ |x-sampa=L\_X }} {{Infobox IPA |ipa symbol=ʟ̠ |ipa number=158 414 |x-sampa=L\_- }}
A '''voiced velar lateral approximant''' is a type of consonantal sound, used as a distinct consonant in a very small number{{sfnp|François|2010|pp=422–426}} of spoken languages in the world. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that has represented this sound since 1989 is {{angbr IPA|ʟ}}, a small capital letter l.
Velar laterals often involve a prestopped realization {{IPA|[ᶢʟ]}}.{{sfnp|François|2010|p=425}}
According to {{harvp|Ladefoged|Maddieson|1996}}, the extremely short duration of {{IPA|/ʟ/}} in intervocalic position (20–30 ms) in some of the languages in New Guinea, such as Kanite and Melpa, warrants calling it a '''voiced velar lateral tap'''.{{sfnp|Ladefoged|Maddieson|1996|p=211}} The IPA has no specific symbol for this sound, but it may be represented with a breve for extra-short, such as {{angbr IPA|ʟ̆}}, to indicate a tapped consonant.
It is reported that some dialects of English may have a '''voiced uvular lateral approximant''',{{sfnp|Cruttenden|2014|p=221}} which can be represented in the IPA as {{angbr IPA|ʟ̠}} (a retracted {{angbr IPA|ʟ}}), though evidence of this consonant is limited.
==Features== Features of a voiced velar lateral approximant:
{{approximant}} {{velar}} {{voiced}} {{oral}} {{lateral}} {{pulmonic}}
A velar lateral {{IPA|[ʟ]}} involves no contact of the tip of the tongue with the roof of the mouth: just like for a velar stop {{IPA|[ɡ]}}, the only contact takes place between the back of the tongue and the velum. This contrasts with a velarized alveolar lateral approximant {{IPA|[ɫ]}} – also known as the dark ''l'' in English ''feel'' {{IPA|[fiːɫ]}} – for which the apex touches the alveolar ridge.{{sfnp|François|2010|p=423}}
==Occurrence== ===Velar=== {| class="wikitable" !colspan=2| Language ! Word ! IPA ! Meaning ! Notes |- | rowspan="2" | English | rowspan="2" | Southern US{{sfnp|Wells|1982|p=551}} | ''midd'''l'''e'' |align=center| {{IPA|[ˈmɪɾʟ̩]}} | 'middle' | rowspan="2" | May occur before or after a velar consonant, as in ''milk'' and ''cycle'', when assimilating {{IPA|/ʊ/}}, as in ''wolf'', or before labial consonants, as in ''help''. More often realized as {{IPAblink|ɫ}}. See English phonology |- |''f'''ull''''' |align=center| {{IPA|[ˈfʟ̩ː]}} |'full' |- |colspan=2| Hiw{{sfnp|François|2010|p = 419}} | '''''r̄'''ev'''r̄'''ov'' | {{IPA|[ɡ͡ʟəβˈɡ͡ʟɔβ]}} | 'evening' | May be realized as prestopped {{IPA|[ᶢʟ]}}, affricate {{IPAblink|ɡʟ̝}}, or laterally released stop {{IPA|[ɡᶫ]}}. |- |colspan=2| Kanite{{sfnp|Gibson|McCarthy|1992|pp=1-3}}{{sfnp|Ladefoged|Maddieson|1996|p=211}} |{{lang|kmu|ka'''l'''a}} |align=center| {{IPA|[kaʟ̆a]}} |'dog' |May be realized as an affricate {{IPA|[ɡʟ̝]}} or a tap {{IPA|[ʟ̆]}}. |- |colspan=2| Melpa{{sfnp|Ladefoged|2005|p=169}} | ''pa'''ⱡ'''a'' |align=center| {{Audio-IPA|Melpa-paLa.wav|[paᶢʟa]}} | 'fence' | May be realized as prestopped {{IPA|[ᶢʟ]}} or tapped {{IPA|[ʟ̆]}}. |- |colspan=2| Mid-Wahgi{{sfnp|Roca|Johnson|1999|p=73}} | ''a'''gl'''a'''gl'''e'' |align=center| {{IPA|[aʟaʟe]}} | 'dizzy' | May be realized as prestopped {{IPA|[ᶢʟ]}}. |}
===Uvular=== {| class="wikitable" !colspan=2| Language ! Word ! IPA ! Meaning ! Notes |- | English | Some American speakers{{sfnp|Cruttenden|2014|p=221}} | ''woo'''l''''' |align=center| {{IPA|[wʊʟ̠]}} | 'wool' | May be velar or simply alveolar instead. See English phonology. |}
==See also== *Voiceless velar lateral approximant, {{IPA|[ʟ̥]}} *Velarized alveolar lateral approximant, {{IPA|[ɫ]}} *Voiceless alveolar lateral fricative, {{IPA|[ɬ]}} *Voiced velar lateral fricative, {{IPA|[ʟ̝]}} *Voiceless velar lateral fricative, {{IPA|[ʟ̝̊]}} or extIPA {{IPA|[𝼄]}} *Index of phonetics articles
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==References== {{refbegin}} * {{citation |last=Cruttenden |first=Alan |year=2014| title=Gimson's Pronunciation of English |publisher=Routledge |edition=8th |isbn=9781444183092 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M2nMAgAAQBAJ }} *{{citation |doi=10.1017/s0952675710000205 |last=François |first=Alexandre |author-link=Alexandre François (linguist) |year=2010 |title=Phonotactics and the prestopped velar lateral of Hiw: resolving the ambiguity of a complex segment |journal=Phonology |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=393–434 |s2cid=62628417 |url=https://marama.huma-num.fr/data/AlexFrancois_Hiw-lateral_Phonology_published.pdf }} * {{citation|url=https://www.sil.org/system/files/reapdata/16/03/88/160388061233923098093542911143444299048/Kanite.pdf|title=Kanite Organised Phonology Data|last1=Gibson|first1=Gwen|last2=McCarthy|first2=Joy|year=1992|publisher=SIL Global}} *{{SOWL}} *{{citation |last=Ladefoged |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Ladefoged |year=2005 |title=Vowels and Consonants |edition=2nd |publisher=Blackwell }} *{{citation |last1=Roca |first1=Iggy |last2=Johnson |first2=Wyn |year=1999 |title=A Course in Phonology |publisher=Blackwell Publishing }} * {{Accents of English|hide1=y|hide2=y}} {{refend}}
==External links== * {{phoible|ʟ}}
{{IPA navigation}}
Category:Lateral consonants Category:Velar consonants Category:Pulmonic consonants Category:Voiced oral consonants