Waveform of the Zulu word [||o||a] relate
 

INDEX

Michael Ashby & John Maidment

Introducing Phonetic Science

Chapter 7: Airstream mechanisms

Chapter Summary

In this chapter we  look at the generation of the air pressures and airflows needed for the production of speech sounds, and then at those sound-types made with an airstream which is not supplied by the lungs.  These are called non-pulmonic sounds. Sound generation in speech relies either on the compression of air, giving an outward (egressive) flow or the rarefaction of air, resulting in inward (ingressive) flow.  Three types of non-pulmonic consonants are used in languages.  Two of these types use a glottalic airstream mechanism. Ejectives are produced with an egressive airflow generated by larynx raising.  Implosives are made with an ingressive flow generated by lowering the larynx.  The third type, clicks, use the velaric ingressive airstream  mechanism, produced by rarefying a small volume of air enclosed in the mouth.   We see that there are sounds which make simultaneous use of pulmonic and non-pulmonic airstreams and consider various modifications which can be applied to clicks.