alveolo-palatal
|al-ve-o-lo-pal-a-tal|
🇺🇸
/ˌælviəloʊˈpælətəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌælviələʊˈpælətəl/
between the alveolar ridge and the palate
Etymology
'alveolo-palatal' originates from Latin, specifically the words 'alveolus' and 'palatum', where 'alveolus' meant 'small hollow, cavity' and 'palatum' meant 'palate (roof of the mouth)'.
'alveolo-' derives from Latin 'alveolus' (via Neo-Latin/technical Latin combining form), and 'palatal' comes from Latin 'palatum' through adjectives such as 'palatalis'; the compound form 'alveolo-palatal' was created in modern linguistic description (19th–20th century) to name a specific place of articulation.
Initially the roots referred to anatomical features (a small hollow and the palate); over time the compounded term came to denote consonants articulated between the alveolar ridge and the hard palate.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or produced at a place of articulation between the alveolar ridge and the hard palate; used to describe consonants articulated with the tongue contacting or approaching that area.
Mandarin and Japanese affricates such as [t͡ɕ] are often described as alveolo-palatal consonants.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/07 07:52