retroflexion
|re-tro-flec-tion|
/ˌrɛtrəˈflɛkʃən/
bending backward
Etymology
'retroflexion' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'retroflexio', where 'retro-' meant 'back' and 'flectere' (root of 'flex') meant 'to bend'.
'retroflexion' came from Latin 'retroflexio' (formed from 'retro-' + 'flectere') and was adopted into modern linguistic and medical English with little change in form.
Initially it meant 'bending backward' in a general sense, but over time it evolved to have specialized senses: 'curling the tongue back in speech' (phonetics) and 'an organ bent backward' (anatomy).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the action or state of retroflexing in phonetics; producing a consonant by curling the tip of the tongue back toward the palate (a retroflex articulation).
Retroflexion of certain consonants is characteristic of some South Asian languages.
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Noun 2
a bending backward of an organ or part, especially used in anatomy (e.g., uterine retroflexion = a uterus tilted or bent backward).
Uterine retroflexion can be detected during a pelvic examination.
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Verb 1
to produce a retroflex sound; to curl the tongue tip back to make a retroflex articulation.
In careful pronunciation he retroflexed the /t/ to approximate the target sound.
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Last updated: 2025/10/02 14:41