alveolarisation
|al-ve-o-lar-i-sa-tion|
🇺🇸
/əˌlviələraɪˈzeɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌælvɪələraɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/
making/being alveolar; forming small cavities
Etymology
'alveolarisation' originates from modern English, formed by the adjective 'alveolar' + the verb-forming suffix '-ize' and the noun-forming suffix '-ation'; 'alveolar' ultimately comes from Latin 'alveolus' meaning 'small hollow'.
'alveolar' derives from Latin 'alveolus' (a diminutive of 'alvus' meaning 'belly, cavity'); through Late Latin/Neo-Latin it entered scientific English as 'alveolus'/'alveolar', then verbs like 'alveolarize' and the noun 'alveolarisation' developed in modern English.
Initially referring to a 'small hollow' (Latin 'alveolus'), the term came to denote anatomical features such as tooth sockets and lung air sacs; in modern usage it also denotes the phonetic process of becoming articulated at the alveolar ridge or the biological process of forming alveoli.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a phonetic process in which a sound (usually a consonant) becomes articulated at the alveolar ridge, i.e., becomes an alveolar consonant.
Linguists noted the alveolarisation of /t/ in that regional accent.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
the process of forming alveoli (small cavities or air sacs), especially in biological or medical contexts such as lung development.
Alveolarisation during early postnatal development is critical for proper lung function.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/23 00:36