palatalize
|pal-a-ta-lize|
/ˈpæl.ə.tə.laɪz/
sound modification
Etymology
'palatalize' originates from English formation combining 'palatal' + the verb-forming suffix '-ize', where 'palatal' ultimately comes from Latin 'palatum' meaning 'roof of the mouth' and '-ize' (from Greek '-izein') meant 'to make or render'.
'palatal' derived from Latin 'palatum' passed into Old French as 'palat'/'palais' and Middle English 'palate'; the adjective 'palatal' was formed from that root, and English later added '-ize' to form 'palatalize'.
Initially it referred specifically to making sounds articulated at the palate; over time it broadened to mean causing or describing any shift toward palatal or palatalized articulation in phonetics and historical phonology.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to make (a speech sound) palatal or to add a palatal quality to a consonant; to pronounce with the body of the tongue raised toward the hard palate.
Linguists palatalize certain consonants before front vowels.
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Verb 2
(phonology, historical or comparative) To cause (a consonant) to shift toward a palatal or palatalized sound in the development of a language.
The sound change palatalized the original /k/ before /i/, producing a /tʃ/ sound.
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Last updated: 2025/09/23 01:42