Roundedness#Compression

{{anchor|Protrusion|Compression|Protruded vowel|Compressed vowel}}

{{multiple image

|total_width=300

|header=Example 1

|image1=Vowel-narrow-protruded-1.png

|width1=714 |height1=680

|caption1=Protruded rounding

|image2=Vowel-narrow-compressed-1.png

|width2=792 |height2=826

|caption2=Compressed rounding

}}

{{multiple image

|total_width=300

|header=Example 2

|image1=Vowel-narrow-protruded-2.jpg

|width1=2048 |height1=1536

|caption1=Protruded rounding

|image2=Vowel-narrow-compressed-2.jpg

|width2=2048 |height2=1536

|caption2=Compressed rounding

}}

There are two types of vowel rounding: protrusion and compression.Protrusion is also called endolabial, lip-pouting, horizontal lip-rounding, outrounding, or inner rounding {{harv|Trask|1996|p=180}}.Compression is also called exolabial, pursed, vertical lip-rounding, inrounding, or outer rounding {{harv|Trask|1996|p=252}}.Henry Sweet noted in 1890 that "the term 'inner rounding' derives from the use of the inner surfaces of the lips; the synonymous 'outrounding' derives from the forward projection of the lips. Both terms are justifiable, but their coexistence is likely to lead to serious confusion." {{harv|Trask|1996|p=180}} In protruded rounding, the corners of the mouth are drawn together and the lips protrude like a tube, with their inner surface visible. In compressed rounding, the corners of the mouth are drawn together, but the lips are also drawn together horizontally ("compressed") and do not protrude, with only their outer surface visible. That is, in protruded vowels the inner surfaces of the lips form the opening (thus the alternate term endolabial), whereas in compressed vowels it is the margins of the lips which form the opening (thus exolabial). {{harvtxt|Catford|1982|p=172}} observes that back and central rounded vowels, such as German {{IPAslink|o}} and {{IPAslink|u}}, are typically protruded, whereas front rounded vowels such as German {{IPAslink|ø}} and {{IPAslink|y}} are typically compressed. Back or central compressed vowels and front protruded vowels are uncommon,{{harvtxt|Sweet|1877}} noted that they are less distinctive from unrounded vowels than their counterparts. and a contrast between the two types has been found to be phonemic in only one instance.Japanese has a back compressed {{IPAblink|ɯᵝ}} rather than protruded {{IPA|[u]}} {{harv|Okada|1999|p=118}}; Swedish also has a back compressed {{IPA|[ɯᵝ]}} {{angbr|o}} as well as both front compressed {{IPA|[y]}} {{angbr|u}} and front protruded {{IPA|[yʷ]}} {{angbr|y}} {{harv|Engstrand|1999|p=141}}; the front rounded vowels contrast in ruta 'window pane' and ryta 'roar' {{harv|Ladefoged|Maddieson|1996|p=292}}.

There are no dedicated IPA diacritics to represent the distinction, but the superscript IPA letter {{IPAalink|β|◌ᵝ}} or {{IPAalink|ʋ|◌ᶹ}} can be used for compressionE.g. {{angbr IPA|ɨᵝ}} in {{harvtxt|Flemming|2002|p=83}}; the IPA Handbook recommends that {{angbr IPA|ᶹ}} "might be used" for "a secondary reduction of the lip opening accompanied by neither protrusion nor velar constriction". and {{angbr IPA|◌ʷ}} for protrusion. Compressed vowels may be pronounced either with the corners of the mouth drawn in, by some definitions rounded, or with the corners spread and, by the same definitions, unrounded. The distinction may be transcribed {{angbr IPA|{{IPAplink|ʉ}}ᵝ uᵝ}} vs {{angbr IPA|{{IPAplink|ɨ}}ᵝ ɯᵝ}} (or {{angbr IPA|ʉᶹ uᶹ}} vs {{angbr IPA|ɨᶹ ɯᶹ}}).Occasionally other symbols may be used, such as protruded {{angbr|ỿ}} ({{IPA|[yʷ]}}) and compressed {{angbr|ꝡ}} ({{IPA|[ɰᵝ]}}).{{Citation needed|date=December 2024|reason=Appears to be original research. What is the source for the use of these two letters to denote different types of rounding?}} To avoid the implication that the superscript represents an off-glide, it might be placed above the base letter: {{angbr IPA|yᷱ, ɯᷩ}}. Ladefoged & Maddieson use old IPA {{angbr IPA|◌̫}} for protrusion (w-like labialization without velarization), while {{harvtxt|Kelly|Local|1989|p=154}} use w {{angbr IPA|◌ᪿ}} for protrusion (e.g. {{angbr IPA|øᪿ}}) and a reversed w {{angbr IPA|◌ᫀ}} for compression (e.g. {{angbr IPA|uᫀ}}). This recalls an old IPA convention of rounding an unrounded vowel letter like i with a subscript omega, and unrounding a rounded letter like u with a turned omega (Jespersen & Pedersen 1926: 19).

The distinction between protruded {{IPA|[u]}} and compressed {{IPA|[y]}} holds for the semivowels {{IPA|[w]}} and {{IPA|[ɥ]}} as well as labialization. In Akan, for example, the {{IPAblink|ɥ}} is compressed, as are labio-palatalized consonants as in Twi {{IPA|[tɕᶣi̘]}} "Twi" and adwuma {{IPA|[adʑᶣu̘ma]}} "work", whereas {{IPA|[w]}} and simply labialized consonants are protruded.{{sfnp|Dolphyne|1988}} In Japanese, the {{IPA|/w/}} is compressed rather than protruded, paralleling the Japanese {{IPA|/u/}}. The distinction applies marginally to other consonants. In Southern Teke, the sole language reported to have a phonemic {{IPAslink|ɱ}}, the labiodental sound is "accompanied by strong protrusion of both lips",{{sfnp|Paulian|1975}} whereas the {{IPAblink|ɱ}} found as an allophone of {{IPA|/m/}} before {{IPA|/f, v/}} in languages such as English is not protruded, as the lip contacts the teeth along its upper or outer edge. Also, in at least one account of speech acquisition, a child's pronunciation of clown involves a lateral {{IPA|[f]}} with the upper teeth contacting the upper-outer edge of the lip, but in crown, a non-lateral {{IPA|[f]}} is pronounced with the teeth contacting the inner surface of the protruded lower lip.{{sfnp|Kelly|Local|1989|p=41}}

Some vowels transcribed with rounded IPA letters may not be rounded at all. An example is {{IPAslink|ɒ}}, the vowel of lot, which in Received Pronunciation has very little if any rounding of the lips. The "throaty" sound of the vowel is instead accomplished with sulcalization, a furrowing of the back of the tongue also found in {{IPAslink|ɜː}}, the vowel of nurse.{{sfnp|Lass|1984|p=124}}

It is possible to mimic the acoustic effect of rounded vowels by narrowing the cheeks, so-called "cheek rounding", which is inherent in back protruded (but not front compressed) vowels. The technique is used by ventriloquists to mask the visible rounding of back vowels like {{IPA|[u]}}.{{sfnp|Sweet|1877|pp=14, 20}} It is not clear if it is used by languages with rounded vowels that do not use visible rounding.

Of the open-mid vowels, {{IPA|[œʷ]}} occurs in Swedish and Norwegian. Central {{IPA|[œ̈]}} and back {{IPA|[ʌᶹ]}} have not been reported to occur in any language.

The lip position of unrounded vowels may be classified into two groups: spread and neutral. Front vowels are usually pronounced with the lips spread, and the spreading becomes more significant as the height of the vowel increases.{{sfnp|Westerman|Ward|2015|p=27}} Open vowels are often neutral, i.e. neither rounded nor spread, because the open jaw allows for limited rounding or spreading of the lips.{{sfnp|Robins|2014|p=90}} This is reflected in the IPA's definition of the cardinal {{IPAblink|a}}, which is unrounded yet not spread either.{{sfnp|International Phonetic Association|1999|p=13}}

Protruded rounding is the vocalic equivalent of consonantal labialization. Thus, rounded vowels and labialized consonants affect one another by phonetic assimilation: Rounded vowels labialize consonants, and labialized consonants round vowels.

In many languages, such effects are minor phonetic detail, but in others, they become significant. For example, in Standard Chinese, the vowel {{IPA|/ɔ/}} is pronounced {{IPA|[u̯ɔ]}} after labial consonants,{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} an allophonic effect that is so important that it is encoded in pinyin transliteration: alveolar {{IPA|/tu̯ɔ˥/}} {{IPAc-cmn|d|uo|1}} ({{Zh|p=duō|labels=no|c=多|s=|t=}}) 'many' vs. labial {{IPA|/pu̯ɔ˥/}} {{IPAc-cmn|b|o|1}} ({{Zh|p=bō|labels=no|c=波}}) 'wave'. In Vietnamese, the opposite assimilation takes place: velar codas {{IPA|/k/}} and {{IPA|/ŋ/}} are pronounced as labialized {{IPA|[kʷ]}} and {{IPA|[ŋʷ]}} or even labial-velar {{IPA|[kp]}} and {{IPA|[ŋm]}}, after the rounded vowels {{IPA|/u/}} and {{IPA|/o/}}.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}

In the Northwest Caucasian languages of the Caucasus and the Sepik languages of Papua New Guinea, historically rounded vowels have become unrounded, with the rounding being taken up by the consonant. Thus, Sepik {{IPA|[ku]}} and {{IPA|[ko]}} are phonemically {{IPA|/kwɨ/}} and {{IPA|/kwə/}}.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} In the extinct Ubykh, {{IPA|[ku]}} and {{IPA|[ko]}} were phonemically {{IPA|/kʷə/}} and {{IPA|/kʷa/}}.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}

A few ancient Indo-European languages like Latin had labialized velar consonants.{{sfnp|Allen|1978}}

Vowel pairs differentiated by roundedness can be found in some British dialects (such as the Cardiff dialect, Geordie and Port Talbot English) as well as in General South African English. They involve a contrastive pair of close-mid vowels, with the unrounded vowel being either {{sc2|SQUARE}} {{IPAc-en|ɛər}} or a monophthongal {{sc2|FACE}} {{IPAc-en|eɪ}} and the rounded counterpart being {{sc2|NURSE}} {{IPAc-en|ɜːr}}. Contrasts based on roundedness are rarely categorical in English and they may be enhanced by additional differences in height, backness or diphthongization.{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|1990|pp=88, 95}}{{sfnp|Connolly|1990|pp=122–123, 125}}{{sfnp|Lass|2002}}{{sfnp|Watt|Allen|2003|p=269}}

In addition, contemporary Standard Southern British English as well as Western Pennsylvania English contrast {{sc2|STRUT}} with {{sc2|LOT}} mostly by rounding. An example of a minimal pairs is nut vs. not. The vowels are open-mid {{IPA|[{{IPAplink|ʌ}}, {{IPAplink|ɔ}}]}} in the former dialect and open {{IPA|[{{IPAplink|ɑ}}, {{IPAplink|ɒ}}]}} in the latter. In Western Pennsylvania English, the {{sc2|LOT}} class also includes the {{sc2|THOUGHT}} class (see cot-caught merger) and the {{sc2|PALM}} one (see father-bother merger). In addition, {{sc2|LOT}} may be longer than {{sc2|STRUT}} due to its being a free vowel: {{IPAblink|ɒː}}. In SSBE, these are all distinct and {{sc2|LOT}} is a checked vowel. In Scottish English, the two vowels tend to be realized as {{IPAblink|ʌ}} and {{IPAblink|ɔ}}, respectively. The latter often includes the {{sc2|THOUGHT}} class as the cot-caught merger is common in Scotland. If {{sc2|THOUGHT}} is distinct, it is realized as {{IPAblink|ɔ}}, whereas {{sc2|LOT}} is lowered to {{IPAblink|ɒ}} or raised to {{IPAblink|o̞}}. This means that while nought {{IPA|[nɔʔ]}} contrasts with nut {{IPA|[nʌʔ]}} by rounding, not may have a different vowel {{IPA|[nɒʔ ~ no̞ʔ]}}. In addition, all three vowels are short in Scotland (see Scottish vowel length rule), unless followed by a voiced fricative where {{sc2|THOUGHT}} (and {{sc2|LOT}}, if they are merged) is long, as in England.{{sfnp|Wells|1982|pp=399–403}}{{sfnp|Labov|Ash|Boberg|2006|pp=88–9}}{{sfnp|Cruttenden|2014|pp=122, 126–128, 130}}

General South African English is unique among accents of English in that it can feature up to three front rounded vowels, with two of them having unrounded counterparts.{{sfnp|Lass|2002}}

The potential contrast between the close-mid {{IPAblink|øː}} and the open-mid {{IPAblink|œː}} is hard to perceive by outsiders, making utterances such as the total onslaught {{IPA|[ðə ˈtœːtl̩ ˈɒnsloːt]}} sound almost like the turtle onslaught {{IPA|[ðə ˈtøːtl̩ ˈɒnsloːt]}}.{{sfnp|Lass|2002|p=118}}

• Close back compressed vowel {{IPA|[ɯᵝ]}} = {{IPA|[ɯᶹ]}} = {{IPA|[uᵝ]}} = {{IPA|[uᶹ]}} (in Japanese and Swedish)
• Near-close back compressed vowel {{IPA|[ʊᵝ]}} = {{IPA|[ʊᶹ]}} (in Swedish)
• Close central compressed vowel {{IPA|[ÿ]}} (in Norwegian)
• Mid central compressed vowel {{IPA|[ø̈]}} (in Swedish)
• Close front compressed vowel {{IPA|[y]}} (in French, German, etc.)
• Mid front compressed vowel {{IPA|[ø]}} (in French, German, etc.)
• Close front protruded vowel {{IPA|[yʷ]}} (in Swedish)
• Near-close front protruded vowel {{IPA|[ʏʷ]}} (in Swedish)
• Close-mid front protruded vowel {{IPA|[øʷ]}} (in Swedish)
• Open-mid front protruded vowel {{IPA|[œʷ]}} (in Swedish)
• Close central protruded vowel {{IPA|[ʉ]}}
• Mid central protruded vowel {{IPA|[ɵ]}}
• Close back protruded vowel {{IPA|[u]}} (common)
• Mid back protruded vowel {{IPA|[o]}} (common)
• List of phonetics topics

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{{refend}}

• {{Wiktionary-inline|endolabial}}
• {{Wiktionary-inline|exolabial}}
• {{Wiktionary-inline|unrounded}}

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