Voiced palatal approximant

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Infobox IPA Template:Infobox IPA The voiced palatal approximant is a type of consonant used in many spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is Template:Angbr IPA; the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is j, and in the Americanist phonetic notation it is Template:Angbr. When this sound occurs in the form of a palatal glide it is frequently, but not exclusively, denoted as a superscript j Template:IPAalink in IPA.

This sound is traditionally called a yod,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> after its name in Hebrew. This is reflected in the names of certain phonological changes, such as yod-dropping and yod-coalescence.

The palatal approximant can often be considered the semivocalic equivalent of the close front unrounded vowel {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. They alternate with each other in certain languages, such as French, and in the diphthongs of some languages as Template:Angbr IPA and Template:Angbr IPA, with the non-syllabic diacritic used in different phonetic transcription systems to represent the same sound.

A voiced alveolo-palatal approximant is attested as phonemic in the Huastec language,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and is represented as an advanced voiced palatal approximant Template:Angbr IPA,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> or the plus sign may be placed after the letter, Template:Angbr IPA.

Phonetic ambiguity and transcription usageEdit

Some languages, however, have a palatal approximant that is unspecified for rounding and so cannot be considered the semivocalic equivalent of either {{#invoke:IPA|main}} or its rounded counterpart, Template:IPAblink, which would normally correspond to Template:IPAblink. An example is Spanish, which distinguishes two palatal approximants: an approximant semivowel {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, which is always unrounded (and is a phonological vowel - an allophone of {{#invoke:IPA|main}}), and an approximant consonant unspecified for rounding, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} (which is a phonological consonant). Eugenio Martínez Celdrán describes the difference between them as follows (with audio examples added):Template:Sfnp

{{#invoke:IPA|main}} is shorter and is usually a merely transitory sound. It can only exist together with a full vowel and does not appear in syllable onset. [On the other hand,] {{#invoke:IPA|main}} has a lower amplitude, mainly in F2. It can only appear in syllable onset. It is not noisy either articulatorily or perceptually. {{#invoke:IPA|main}} can vary towards Template:IPAblink in emphatic pronunciations, having noise (turbulent airstream). (...)
There is a further argument through which we can establish a clear difference between {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}: the first sound cannot be rounded, not even through co-articulation, whereas the second one is rounded before back vowels or the back semi-vowel. Thus, in words like viuda Template:Audio-IPA 'widow', Dios Template:Audio-IPA 'God', vio Template:Audio-IPA 's/he saw', etc., the semi-vowel {{#invoke:IPA|main}} is unrounded; if it were rounded, a sound that does not exist in Spanish, Template:IPAblink, would appear. On the other hand, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} is unspecified as far as rounding is concerned and it is assimilated to the labial vowel context: rounded with rounded vowels, e.g. ayuda Template:Audio-IPA 'help', coyote Template:Audio-IPA 'coyote', hoyuelo Template:Audio-IPA 'dimple', etc., and unrounded with unrounded vowels: payaso Template:Audio-IPA 'clown', ayer Template:Audio-IPA 'yesterday'.{{#if:|{{#if:|}}

— {{#if:|, in }}Template:Comma separated entries
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He also considers that "the IPA shows a lack of precision in the treatment it gives to approximants, if we take into account our understanding of the phonetics of Spanish. {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}} are two different segments, but they have to be labelled as voiced palatal approximant consonants. I think that the former is a real consonant, whereas the latter is a semi-consonant, as it has traditionally been called in Spanish, or a semi-vowel, if preferred. The IPA, though, classifies it as a consonant."Template:Sfnp

There is a parallel problem with transcribing the voiced velar approximant.

The symbol Template:Angbr IPA may not display properly in all browsers. In that case, Template:Angbr IPA should be substituted.

In the writing systems used for most languages in Central, Northern, and Eastern Europe, the letter j denotes the palatal approximant, as in German Template:Langx 'year', which is followed by IPA. Although it may be seen as counterintuitive for English-speakers, there are a few words with that orthographical spelling in certain loanwords in English like Hebrew "hallelujah" and German "Jägermeister".

In grammars of Ancient Greek, the palatal approximant, which was lost early in the history of Greek, is sometimes written as Template:Angbr, an iota with the inverted breve below, which is the nonsyllabic diacritic or marker of a semivowel.Template:Sfnp

There is also the post-palatal approximant<ref>Instead of "post-palatal", it can be called "retracted palatal", "backed palatal", "palato-velar", "pre-velar", "advanced velar", "fronted velar" or "front-velar". For simplicity, this article uses only the term "post-palatal".</ref> in some languages, which is articulated slightly more back than the place of articulation of the prototypical palatal approximant but less far back than the prototypical velar approximant. It can be considered the semivocalic equivalent of the close central unrounded vowel {{#invoke:IPA|main}}The International Phonetic Alphabet does not have a separate symbol for that sound, but it can be transcribed as Template:Angbr IPA, Template:Angbr IPA (both symbols denote a retracted Template:Angbr IPA), Template:Angbr IPA or Template:Angbr IPA (both symbols denote an advanced Template:Angbr IPA). The equivalent X-SAMPA symbols are j_- and M\_+, respectively. Other possible transcriptions include a centralized Template:Angbr IPA (Template:Angbr IPA in the IPA, j_" in X-SAMPA), a centralized Template:Angbr IPA (Template:Angbr IPA in the IPA, M\_" in X-SAMPA) and a non-syllabic Template:Angbr IPA (Template:Angbr IPA in the IPA, 1_^ in X-SAMPA).

For the reasons mentioned above and in the article velar approximant, none of those symbols are appropriate for languages such as Spanish, whose post-palatal approximant consonant (not a semivowel) appears as an allophone of {{#invoke:IPA|main}} before front vowels and is best transcribed Template:Angbr IPA, Template:Angbr IPA (both symbols denote a lowered and retracted Template:Angbr IPA), Template:Angbr IPA or Template:Angbr IPA (both symbols denote a lowered and advanced Template:Angbr IPA). The equivalent X-SAMPA symbols are j\_o_- and G_o_+.

Especially in broad transcription, the post-palatal approximant may be transcribed as a palatalized velar approximant (Template:Angbr IPA, Template:Angbr IPA or Template:Angbr IPA in the IPA, M\', M\_j, G'_o or G_o_j in X-SAMPA).

A voiced alveolar-palatal approximant is attested as phonemic in the Huastec language.

FeaturesEdit

Features of the voiced palatal approximant:

Template:Approximant The most common type of this approximant is glide or semivowel. The term glide emphasizes the characteristic of movement (or 'glide') of {{#invoke:IPA|main}} from the Template:IPAblink vowel position to a following vowel position. The term semivowel emphasizes that, although the sound is vocalic in nature, it is not 'syllabic' (it does not form the nucleus of a syllable). For a description of the approximant consonant variant used e.g. in Spanish, see above. Template:Palatal The otherwise identical post-palatal variant is articulated slightly behind the hard palate, making it sound slightly closer to the velar Template:IPAblink. Template:Voiced Template:Oral Template:Central articulation Template:Pulmonic

OccurrenceEdit

PalatalEdit

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Adyghe		lang}}/yat'a	Template:Audio-IPA	'dirt'
Afrikaans		lang}}	main}}	'yes'	See Afrikaans phonology
Arabic	Standard	lang}}/yawm	main}}	'day'	See Arabic phonology
Aragonese Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'falls'	main}} before {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}).Template:Sfnp
Armenian	Eastern Template:Sfnp	lang}}/yuq	main}}	'fat'
Assamese		lang}}/manowiyota	main}}	'humanity'
Assyrian		lang}}	main}}	'sea'
Azerbaijani		lang}}	main}}	'dream'
Basque		lang}}	main}}	'yes'
Bengali		lang}}/noyon	main}}	'eye'	See Bengali phonology
Bulgarian		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'mother'	See Bulgarian phonology
Catalan Template:Sfnp	All dialects	lang}}	main}}	'I did'	See Catalan phonology
Catalan Template:Sfnp	Some dialects	lang}}	main}}	'I'	See Catalan phonology
Chechen		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'six'
Chinese	Cantonese	lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'day'	See Cantonese phonology
Chinese	Mandarin	lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}) / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'duck'	See Mandarin phonology
Chuvash		йывăç/yıvëş	[jɯʋəɕ̬]	'tree'
Czech		lang}}	main}}	'is'	See Czech phonology
Danish		lang}}	main}}	'I'	See Danish phonology
Dutch	StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'yes'	Frequently realized as a fricative Template:IPAblink, especially in emphatic speech.Template:Sfnp See Dutch phonology
English		you	main}}	'you'	See English phonology
Esperanto		lang}}	main}}	'year'	See Esperanto phonology
Estonian		lang}}	main}}	'leg'	See Estonian phonology
Finnish		lang}}	main}}	'leg'	See Finnish phonology
French		lang}}	main}}	'eyes'	See French phonology
German	Standard Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'jacket'	Also described as a fricative Template:IPAblink Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp and a sound variable between a fricative and an approximant.Template:Sfnp See Standard German phonology
Greek	Ancient Greek	lang}}/éiē	main}}	's/he shall come'	See Ancient Greek phonology
Hebrew		lang}}/yeled	main}}	'kid'	See Modern Hebrew phonology
Hindustani		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}/yán	main}}	'vehicle'	See Hindustani phonology
Hungarian		lang}}	main}}	'game'	See Hungarian phonology
Irish Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'would cut'	See Irish phonology
Ingush		{{#invoke:Lang\|lang}} / jalat	['jalat]	'grain'	See Ingush phonology
Italian Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'ion'	See Italian phonology
Jalapa Mazatec Template:Sfnp		Template:Example needed			Contrasts voiceless Template:IPAslink, plain voiced {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} and glottalized voiced {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} approximants.Template:Sfnp
Japanese		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'to bake'	See Japanese phonology
Kabardian		lang}}/yi	main}}	'game'
Kazakh		lang}}/yağni	main}}	'so'
Khmer		lang}} / Template:Transliteration	main}}	'to cry'	See Khmer phonology
Korean		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'six'	See Korean phonology
Latin		lang}}	main}}	'to throw'	See Latin spelling and pronunciation
Lithuanian Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'she'	Also described as a fricative Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp See Lithuanian phonology
Macedonian		lang}}/kraj	main}}	'end'	See Macedonian phonology
Malay		lang}}	main}}	'love'
Maltese		lang}}	main}}	'he eats'
Mapudungun Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'six'	May be a fricative Template:IPAblink instead.Template:Sfnp
Marathi		lang}}/yaš	main}}	'success'
Nepali		lang}}/yam	main}}	'season'	See Nepali phonology
Norwegian	Urban East Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'to give'	May be a fricative Template:IPAblink instead.Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp See Norwegian phonology
Odia		lang}}/samaya	main}}	'time'
Persian		یزد/Yäzd	main}}]	'Yazd'	See Persian phonology
Polish Template:Sfnp		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'tomorrow'	See Polish phonology
Portuguese<ref>Template:In lang Delta: Documentation of studies on theoric and applied Linguistics – Problems in the tense variant of carioca speech.</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'buoy', 'float'	Allophone of both Template:IPAslink and Template:IPAslink,<ref name="anglophones learning lh">Template:In lang The acoustic-articulatory path of the lateral palatal consonant's allophony. Pages 223 and 228.</ref> as well as a very common epenthetic sound before coda sibilants in some dialects. See Portuguese phonology
Punjabi		ਯਾਰ/yár	main}}	'friend'
Romanian		lang}}	main}}	'again'	See Romanian phonology
Russian Template:Sfnp		lang}}/jama	main}}	'pit'	See Russian phonology
Serbo-Croatian Template:Sfnp		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'South'	See Serbo-Croatian phonology
Slovak Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'to eat'	See Slovak phonology
Slovene		lang}}	main}}	'I'
Solos		yas	[jas]	'up'	See Alphabet section in Solos language
Spanish Template:Sfnp	Standard	lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'yesterday'	Unspecified for rounding approximant consonant; the language also features an unrounded palatal approximant semivowel.Template:Sfnp Contrast with /j/. See Spanish phonology
Spanish Template:Sfnp	Rioplatense	lang}}	[ˈje.lo]	'ice'
Swedish		lang}}	main}}	'I'	May be realized as a palatal fricative Template:IPAblink instead. See Swedish phonology
Tagalog		lang}}	main}}	'sparrow'
Tamil		lang}}	[ˈjaːnaɪ]	'elephant'
Telugu		lang}}	main}}	'agony'
Turkish Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'way'	See Turkish phonology
Turkmen		lang}}	main}}	'silk'
Ubykh		ајәушқӏa/ajëwšq'a	main}}	'you did it'	See Ubykh phonology
Ukrainian		їжак / ïžak	main}}	'hedgehog'	See Ukrainian phonology
Vietnamese	Southern dialects	lang}}	main}}	'cinnamon'	main}}. See Vietnamese phonology
Washo		lang}}	main}}	'leaf'	Contrasts voiceless Template:IPAslink and voiced {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} approximants.
Welsh		iaith	[jai̯θ]	'language'	See Welsh phonology
West Frisian		lang}}	main}}	'coat'	See West Frisian phonology
Zapotec	Tilquiapan Template:Sfnp	yan	main}}	'neck'

Post-palatalEdit

Template:Infobox IPA

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Spanish Template:Sfnp		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'to follow'	main}} before front vowels;Template:Sfnp typically transcribed in IPA with Template:Angbr IPA. See Spanish phonology
Turkish	Standard prescriptiveTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'wedding'	main}} (also transcribed as {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}) before front vowels.Template:Sfnp See Turkish phonology