postalveolar
|post-al-ve-o-lar|
🇺🇸
/ˌpoʊstælˈviːələr/
🇬🇧
/ˌpəʊstælˈviːələ/
behind the alveolar ridge
Etymology
'postalveolar' originates from Latin elements: the prefix 'post-' (Latin) meaning 'after, behind' and 'alveolar' from Latin 'alveolus' meaning 'small hollow, cavity'.
'postalveolar' was formed in Modern English (linguistic terminology) by prefixing 'post-' to 'alveolar' (from Latin 'alveolus'), yielding a technical adjective used in phonetics and anatomy.
Initially it simply denoted a location 'behind the alveolar ridge'; over time it has become specialized to describe a class of consonant sounds produced at that location.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or articulated behind the alveolar ridge (the area just behind the teeth); used of consonant sounds produced with the tongue near or against the area just behind the alveolar ridge.
The English 'sh' sound is postalveolar.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/04 10:04