Labial–coronal consonant

A labial–coronal consonant is a consonant produced with two simultaneous articulators: with the lips ('labial'; a Template:IPAblink, Template:IPAblink, or Template:IPAblink sound), and with the tongue (at the teeth or gums, a 'dental' or 'alveolar' Template:IPAblink, Template:IPAblink or Template:IPAblink sound, or further back, a 'post-alveolar' or 'retroflex' Template:IPAblink, Template:IPAblink or Template:IPAblink sound).

Several languages have been claimed to have such sounds, such as Margi and Bura in Nigeria. However, most researchers interpret them as having sequences of labial and coronal consonants, a rather common occurrence in Africa. The Yélî Dnye language of Rossel Island, Papua New Guinea, appears to be unique in having distinct laminal labial–alveolar (i.e. labial–denti-alveolar) and labial–retroflex (i.e. apical to sub-apical labial–postalveolar) places of articulation, as illustrated below.

Stops in Yelî Dnye	Bilabial		Alveolar		Retroflex		Velar
Stop		side		knife		tongue		spear
Prenasalized stop		carry		food		firewood		tree
Nasal		road		juice		feast		lease

Stops in Yelî Dnye	Labial–alveolar		Labial–retroflex		Labial–velar
Stop		lung		horn		coconut bag
Prenasalized stop		pulp		many		fog
Nasal		bird		we		breast

Labial–coronal allophones

In some Ghanaian languages such as Dagbani, and Nzema, there are palatalized allophones of labial–velars. These are sometimes mistakenly referred to as labial–alveolars, though they actually have a post-alveolar or palatal articulation instead of a true alveolar one.

Something similar is found with the labialized alveolar stops in several Northwest and Northeast Caucasian languages such as Abkhaz and Lak. Although the double stop articulation may be more common, they are generally considered to be essentially labialized alveolars because the labial contact is light, and moreover the contact is between the inner surfaces of the lips, which are protruded as they are for [w]. This is quite different from the normal contact for [p] in these languages. The labial contact may also be realized as a trill. Compare the following minimal sets in Ubykh:

	now		awl		if
	pregnant		cherry		to weave
	ram		to take out

Some speakers of !Xóõ have a labial–dental allophone, (or ), of the bilabial click Template:IPAslink in some cases (Traill 1985: 103–104).

Discounting clicks otherwise as having a velar/lingual airstream mechanism rather than a double articulation, nearly all other doubly articulated consonants in the world are labial–velars. The labial-alveolars reported from some Chadic languages have upon investigation turned out to be , , and sequences, not single consonants. (See Margi language.)

References

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