Close front rounded vowel

Template:Short description Template:Redirect-distinguish Template:Infobox IPA Template:IPA vowels

File:Spectrogram of close front rounded vowel (IPA y).png

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The close front rounded vowel, or high front rounded vowel,<ref>Template:Vowel terminology</ref> is a type of vowel sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is Template:Angbr IPA, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is y. Across many languages, it is most commonly represented orthographically as Template:Angbr (in German, Turkish, Estonian and Hungarian) or Template:Angbr (in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Albanian) but also as Template:Angbr (in French and Dutch and the Kernewek Kemmyn standard of Cornish); Template:Angbr/Template:Angbr (in the romanization of various Asian languages); Template:Angbr (in Cyrillic-based writing systems such as that for Chechen); or Template:Angbr (in Cyrillic-based writing systems such as that for Tatar).

Short {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and long {{#invoke:IPA|main}} occurred in pre-Modern Greek. In the Attic and Ionic dialects of Ancient Greek, front {{#invoke:IPA|main}} developed by fronting from back {{#invoke:IPA|main}} around the 6th to 7th century BC. A little later, the diphthong {{#invoke:IPA|main}} when not before another vowel monophthongized and merged with long {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. In Koine Greek, the diphthong {{#invoke:IPA|main}} changed to {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, likely through the intermediate stages {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. Through vowel shortening in Koine Greek, long {{#invoke:IPA|main}} merged with short {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. Later, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} unrounded to {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, yielding the pronunciation of Modern Greek. For more information, see the articles on Ancient Greek and Koine Greek phonology.

The close front rounded vowel is the vocalic equivalent of the labialized palatal approximant {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. {{#invoke:IPA|main}} alternates with {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in certain languages, such as French, and in the diphthongs of some languages, Template:Angbr IPA with the non-syllabic diacritic and Template:Angbr IPA are used in different transcription systems to represent the same sound.

In most languages, this rounded vowel is pronounced with compressed lips ('exolabial'). However, in a few cases the lips are protruded ('endolabial').

Close front compressed vowelEdit

The close front compressed vowel is typically transcribed in IPA simply as Template:Angbr IPA, and that is the convention used in this article. There is no dedicated diacritic for compression in the IPA. However, the compression of the lips can be shown with the letter Template:IPAalink as Template:Angbr IPA (simultaneous {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and labial compression) or Template:Angbr IPA ({{#invoke:IPA|main}} modified with labial compression). The spread-lip diacritic Template:Angbr IPA may also be used with a rounded vowel letter Template:Angbr IPA as an ad hoc symbol, though technically 'spread' means unrounded.

FeaturesEdit

Template:Close vowel Template:Front vowel Template:Compressed vowel

OccurrenceEdit

Because front rounded vowels are assumed to have compression, and few descriptions cover the distinction, some of the following may actually have protrusion.

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Afrikaans	StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'you' (formal)	main}} in younger speakers. See Afrikaans phonology
Albanian	Standard	lang}}	main}}	'rainbow'	main}} in many dialects. See Albanian phonology
Azerbaijani Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'bullet'
Bavarian	Amstetten dialect<ref name="tm82">Template:Harvcoltxt, cited in Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>	Template:Example needed			main}}, near-close Template:IPAblink, close-mid Template:IPAblink and open-mid Template:IPAblink front rounded vowels in addition to the open central unrounded Template:IPAblink.<ref name="tm82"/>
Breton Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'noise'
Catalan	Northern Template:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'aim'	Found in Occitan and French loanwords. See Catalan phonology
Chechen		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'yard'
Chinese	Mandarin Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'woman'	See Standard Chinese phonology and Cantonese phonology
	Cantonese Template:Sfnp	lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'book'
	Shanghainese Template:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'donkey'
Chuvash		тӳме	[tyme]	'button'
Danish	StandardTemplate:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'visible'	See Danish phonology
Dutch	StandardTemplate:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'now'	Also described as near-close Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp The Standard Northern realization has also been described as close central Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp See Dutch phonology
English	General South African Template:Sfnp	few	{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}	'few'	Some younger speakers, especially females. Others pronounce a more central vowel Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp See South African English phonology
	Multicultural London Template:Sfnp				May be back Template:IPAblink instead.Template:Sfnp
	Scouse Template:Sfnp				May be central Template:IPAblink instead.
	Ulster<ref name="ireland">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation				CitationClass=web }}</ref> \|\| Long allophone of {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}; occurs only after {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}.<ref name="ireland"/> See English phonology
Estonian Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'one'	See Estonian phonology
Faroese Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'mythological'	Appears only in loanwords.Template:Sfnp See Faroese phonology
Finnish Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'one'	See Finnish phonology
French Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'you'	The Parisian realization has been also described as near-close Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp See French phonology
German	Standard Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'over'	See Standard German phonology
German	Many speakersTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'protect'	main}} in Switzerland, Austria and partially also in Western and Southwestern Germany (Palatinate, Swabia).Template:Sfnp See Standard German phonology
Greek	Tyrnavos Template:Sfnp	{{#invoke:Lang\|lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}	'saliva'	Corresponds to {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} in Standard Modern Greek.Template:Sfnp
Greek	Velvendos Template:Sfnp	{{#invoke:Lang\|lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}	'saliva'
Hungarian Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'pin'	See Hungarian phonology
Iaai Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'quarrel'
Korean		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'back'	main}}, especially in Seoul and surrounding dialects. See Korean phonology
Kurdish Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	Kurmanji (Northern)	lang}}	main}}	'mountain'	Equal to Palewani (Southern) Template:IPAblink. See Kurdish phonology
Limburgish Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'sees'	Central Template:IPAblink in Maastricht.Template:Sfnp The example word is from the Weert dialect.
Lombard<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref>	Most dialects<ref name=":0" />	lang}} {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'laughed'	<ref name=":0" />
Low German Template:Sfnp		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'fire'
Luxembourgish Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'envelope'	Occurs only in loanwords.Template:Sfnp See Luxembourgish phonology
Mongolian Template:Sfnp	Inner Mongolia	lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'prairie fire'	main}} in Khalkha.
Norwegian Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'south'	The example word is from Urban East Norwegian, in which the vowel varies in rounding between compressed {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} and protruded Template:IPAblink. It can be diphthongized to {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}.Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp See Norwegian phonology.
Occitan		lang}}	main}}	'Town of Besalú'	See Occitan phonology
Plautdietsch	Canadian Old ColonyTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'builds'	Corresponds to back Template:IPAblink in other varieties.Template:Sfnp
Portuguese	Azorean<ref name="pt">Variação Linguística no Português Europeu: O Caso do Português dos Açores Template:In lang</ref>	lang}}	main}}	'figure'	Stressed vowel, fronting of original {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} in some dialects.<ref name="pt"/> See Portuguese phonology
	Algarve<ref>Portuguese: A Linguistic Introduction – by Milton M. Azevedo Page 186.</ref>	lang}}	main}}	'all'
	Brazilian<ref>Template:In lang The perception of German vowels by Portuguese-German bilinguals: do returned emigrants suffer phonological erosion? Pages 57 and 68.</ref>	lang}}	main}}	'déjà vu'	Found in French and German loanwords. Speakers may instead use {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} or {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}. See Portuguese phonology
Saterland Frisian Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'wanted' (v.)
Scottish Gaelic	younger Lewis speakersTemplate:Sfnp	cù	main}}	'dog'	Normal allophone of Template:IPAblink. More central as Template:IPAblink among older speakers.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> See Scottish Gaelic phonology
Swedish	Central StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'out'	main}} or {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}.Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp The height has been variously described as close {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}Template:Sfnp and near-close Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp Typically transcribed in IPA with Template:Angbr IPA; it is central Template:IPAblink in other dialects. See Swedish phonology
Turkish Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'sun'	See Turkish phonology
West Frisian Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'out'	See West Frisian phonology

Close front protruded vowelEdit

Template:Infobox IPA Catford notesTemplate:Full citation needed that most languages with rounded front and back vowels use distinct types of labialization, protruded back vowels and compressed front vowels. However, a few languages, such as Scandinavian ones, have protruded front vowels. One of these, Swedish, even contrasts the two types of rounding in front vowels (see near-close near-front rounded vowel, with Swedish examples of both types of rounding).

As there are no diacritics in the IPA to distinguish protruded and compressed rounding, an old diacritic for labialization, Template:Angbr IPA, will be used here as an ad hoc symbol for protruded front vowels. Another possible transcription is Template:Angbr IPA or Template:Angbr IPA (a close front vowel modified by endolabialization), but this could be misread as a diphthong.

Acoustically, this sound is "between" the more typical compressed close front vowel {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and the unrounded close front vowel Template:IPAblink.

FeaturesEdit

Template:Close vowel Template:Front vowel Template:Protruded vowel

OccurrenceEdit

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Kurdish Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	Palewani (Southern)	lang}}	main}}	'mountain'	Allophone of Template:IPAblink in regional dialects. See Kurdish phonology
Norwegian Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'south'	The example word is from Urban East Norwegian, in which the vowel varies in rounding between protruded {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} and compressed Template:IPAblink. It can be diphthongized to {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}.Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp See Norwegian phonology.
Swedish	Central StandardTemplate:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'howl'	main}} or {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp (hear the word: Template:Audio-IPA); it may also be fricated {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} or, in some regions, fricated and centralized (Template:IPAblink).Template:Sfnp See Swedish phonology