BACK VOWEL Meaning and
Definition
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A back vowel is a linguistic term used to describe a specific type of vowel sound in which the highest point of the tongue is positioned towards the back of the oral cavity. This term refers to a class of vowel sounds characterized by the retraction of the tongue.
Back vowels are formed when the back of the tongue is raised towards the soft part of the roof of the mouth called the velum. In this position, the air flowing through the vocal tract passes relatively unimpeded, producing a distinct sound quality.
Common examples of back vowels include the vowels found in the English words "cot" [ɔ], "caught" [ɔː], and "boot" [u]. These sounds are classified as back vowels due to the position of the tongue during their production.
Back vowels can be further categorized based on their articulation and position in the vowel chart, such as high back vowels and low back vowels. High back vowels are produced with a relatively close approximation between the tongue and the roof of the mouth, while low back vowels have a relatively open position.
Understanding the concept of back vowels is essential in phonetic analysis and linguistic studies as it contributes to the analysis of vowel systems, sound changes, and dialectal variations across different languages.
Common Misspellings for BACK VOWEL
- vack vowel
- nack vowel
- hack vowel
- gack vowel
- bzck vowel
- bsck vowel
- bwck vowel
- bqck vowel
- baxk vowel
- bavk vowel
- bafk vowel
- badk vowel
- bacj vowel
- bacm vowel
- bacl vowel
- baco vowel
- baci vowel
- back cowel
- back bowel
- back gowel
Etymology of BACK VOWEL
The word "back vowel" refers to a type of vowel sound that is produced with the back of the tongue being raised towards the back of the mouth. The term "back" in "back vowel" describes the position of the tongue during the pronunciation of these vowels.
The etymology of the word "back" can be traced back to the Old English word "bæc", which meant the rear or the posterior part of something. It is related to other Germanic languages such as Old Saxon "bak", Old Norse "bak", and Dutch "bak". Over time, the meaning of "back" expanded to include the concept of position or location, referring to something situated at the rear or the farthest point. In the context of vowels, a "back vowel" is produced at the posterior part of the oral cavity, hence its name.
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