View source for Nasal release

{{Short description|Manner of articulation}}{{refimprove|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox IPA
| above      = Nasal release
| ipa symbol = ◌ⁿ
| ipa number = 425
| decimal1   = 8319
}}
In [[phonetics]], a '''nasal release''' is the release of a [[stop consonant]] into a [[nasal consonant|nasal]]. Such sounds are transcribed in the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] with superscript nasal letters, for example as {{IPA|[tⁿ]}} in English ''catnip'' {{IPA|[ˈkætⁿnɪp]}}. In English words such as ''sudden'' in which historically the tongue made separate contacts with the alveolar ridge for the {{IPA|/d/}} and {{IPA|/n/}}, {{IPA|[ˈsʌdən]}}, many speakers today make only one contact. That is, the {{IPA|/d/}} is released directly into the {{IPA|/n/}}: {{IPA|[ˈsʌdⁿn̩]}}. Although this is a minor phonetic detail in English (in fact, it is commonly transcribed as having [[no audible release]]: {{IPA|[ˈkæt̚nɪp]}}, {{IPA|[ˈsʌd̚n̩]}}), nasal release is more important in some other languages.

==Prestopped nasals==
In some languages, such consonants may occur before vowels and are called ''[[prestopped nasal consonant|prestopped nasals]]''.

Prestopped nasals and [[prenasalized stop]]s occur when the [[oral cavity]] is closed and the [[nasal cavity]] is opened by lowering the [[soft palate|velum]], but the timing of both events does not coincide. A prenasalized stop starts out with a lowered velum that raises during the occlusion, much like the {{IPA|[nd]}} in ''candy''. A postnasalized stop or prestopped nasal begins with a raised velum that lowers during the occlusion. That causes an audible nasal release, as in English ''sudden''.

The [[Slavic languages]] are most famous for having (non-phonemic) prestopped nasals. That can be seen in place names such as the [[Dniester River]]. The Russian word for "day", for example, is inflected {{lang|ru|день, дня, дни, дней}} {{IPA|[dʲenʲ, dⁿnʲa, dⁿnʲi, dⁿnʲej]}}, {{gloss|day, day’s, days, days’}}.

Prestopped nasals area also found in [[Australia]]. [[Arrernte language|Eastern Arrernte]] has both prenasalized stops and prestopped nasals, but it does not have word-initial [[consonant cluster]]s. Compare {{IPA|[mʷaɻə]}} "good" (with nasal stop), {{IPA|[ᵐbʷaɻə]}} "make" (with prenasalized stop), {{IPA|[ᵖmʷaɻə]}} "coolamon" (with prestopped nasal).

There is little or no phonetic difference between a "[[prenasalized stop]]" ({{IPA|/ⁿd/}}) and a cluster ({{IPA|/nd/}}). It is similar for prestopped nasals. The difference is essentially one of phonological analysis. For example, languages with word-initial {{IPA|/nd/}} (or {{IPA|/ⁿd/}}) but no other
word-initial clusters, will often be analyzed as having a unitary prenasalized stop rather than a cluster of nasal + stop. For some languages, it is claimed that a difference exists (often medially) between {{IPA|/ⁿd/}} and {{IPA|/nd/}}. Even in such cases, however, alternative analyses are possible. [[Peter Ladefoged|Ladefoged]] and [[Ian Maddieson|Maddieson]]<ref>{{SOWL}}{{page needed|date=July 2024}}</ref> investigated one such claimed case and concluded that the two sounds were better analyzed as /nd/ and /nnd/, respectively.

==Final consonants with nasal release==
However, some languages such as [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] and [[Malay language|Malay]], which are generally described as having [[no audible release]] in final stops, actually have a short nasal release {{Citation needed|date=April 2011}} in such cases. Since all final stops in these two languages are [[voiceless consonant|voiceless]], the nasal release is voiceless as well.

Although the difference is commonly chalked up to [[aspirated consonant|aspiration]], final nasal release is contrastive in [[Wolof language|Wolof]]:<ref>{{cite book |title=Principles of Phonetics |page=362 |first=John |last=Laver |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1994 |isbn=0-521-45655-X |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/principlesofphon0000lave/page/362/mode/2up}}</ref>

::{| class=wikitable
|+Contrasting releases in Wolof
!colspan=2|Nasal release!!colspan=2|Aspirated release
|-
|{{IPA|[lapᵐ̥]}}||'to drown'||{{IPA|[lapʰ]}}||'to be thin'
|-
|{{IPA|[ɡɔkᵑ̊]}}||'bridle rope'||{{IPA|[ɡɔkʰ]}}||'white chalk'
|}

== See also==
* [[Lateral release (phonetics)]]
* [[No audible release]]
* [[Prestopped nasal consonant]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{IPA navigation}}

[[Category:Consonants]]
[[Category:Nasalization|Release]]