dentalisation
|den-ta-li-sa-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌdɛntəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌdɛnt(ə)laɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/
made at the teeth (tooth-articulated)
Etymology
'dentalisation' originates from Latin, specifically the element 'dent-' from 'dens, dentis', where 'dent-' meant 'tooth', combined with the verb-forming suffix '-ize' and the noun-forming suffix '-ation'.
'dental-' comes from Latin 'dentalis' ('of a tooth'), which passed into New Latin and English scientific vocabulary as 'dental'. The verb 'dentalize/dentalise' was formed in English from 'dental' + '-ize/-ise', and the noun 'dentalization/dentalisation' developed from that verb with '-ation'.
Initially related to 'pertaining to teeth' (physical teeth), the term was extended in phonetic and phonological contexts to mean 'making or producing a sound with the teeth' or 'the process by which sounds become dental'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in phonetics, the articulation of a consonant with the tongue against the upper teeth (making a sound dental); the process of making a sound dental.
The dentalisation of /t/ in that dialect gives it a sound closer to /θ/.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
in phonology, a process or influence (such as coarticulation) that causes an alveolar or other consonant to be produced at the teeth rather than at the alveolar ridge.
Coarticulation often results in the dentalisation of alveolar consonants before dental fricatives.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/18 00:02