velarization
|ve-lar-i-za-tion|
/ˌvɛləraɪˈzeɪʃən/
(velarize)
making velar / adding velar quality
Etymology
'velarization' originates from English, specifically formed from the adjective 'velar' (itself from Latin 'velum') plus the suffix '-ization' (from Greek/Latin via English, from Greek '-izein'/'-ize' meaning 'to make' and the noun-forming '-ation').
'velar' derives from Latin 'velum' meaning 'veil' or 'curtain' (in anatomy used for the 'soft palate'); English formed 'velar' to describe sounds related to the velum, then the verb 'velarize' was created by adding '-ize', and finally the noun 'velarization' was formed with '-ation'.
Initially tied to the anatomical term 'velum' (a veil or the soft palate), the formation came to mean specifically 'making or having a velar (soft-palate) quality' in phonetics; this specialized usage is the modern meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the phonetic/phonological process by which a sound (often /l/) acquires a secondary velar articulation (a back-of-tongue raising toward the soft palate), producing so-called 'dark' or velarized variants.
The velarization of /l/ produces the 'dark L' heard in many dialects of English.
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Noun 2
the act or result of giving a sound or articulation a velar quality — more generally, the process of making something velar.
Linguists noted an increase in velarization of certain consonants in the speech community.
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Last updated: 2025/09/23 00:58