barred lambda

{{short description|Modified letter of the Greek alphabet}}

{{Infobox grapheme|name=Barred lambda|image=Latin letter Lambda with stroke.svg|imageclass=skin-invert-image|imagesize=200px|imagealt=Upper and lower case of Latin barred lambda|script=Latin script|typedesc=ic|phonemes={{ubl|{{IPAslink|tɬ}}}}|alphanumber=|number=|fam1=Λ λ|fam2=Ꟛ λ|usageperiod=|equivalents=|associates=|type=alphabet|letter=Ƛ ƛ|unicode=U+A7DC, U+019B|language=Americanist phonetic notation}} {{specialChars}}

The barred lambda (Ƛ ƛ) ({{unichar|A7DC|LATIN CAPITAL LETTER LAMBDA WITH STROKE|html=}}, {{unichar|019b|LATIN SMALL LETTER LAMBDA WITH STROKE|html=}}), is a modified letter of the Greek alphabet, commonly encountered in North American linguistics. It is used by the Salishan and Wakashan languages in Canada.{{cite web |last1=Humchitt |first1=Robyn |last2=Jacquerye |first2=Denis |last3=King |first3=Kevin |date=2023-07-17 |title=L2/23-191: Proposal to Encode 3 Additional Latin Characters for Wakashan and Salishan Languages to the Unicode Standard |url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2023/23191-three-latin-additions.pdf}} It is also used in Americanist phonetic notation, where it is also known as running man,[http://www.tulaliplushootseed.com/alphabet.htm] (strictly speaking, this refers to the glottalized version, {{IPAblink|t͡ɬʼ}}) to transcribe {{IPAblink|t͡ɬ}}. In physics, it is used to represent the angular wavelength, i.e. the wavelength (λ) divided by 2{{pi}} (τ), which corresponds to the length taken up by one radian of the wave.

It was first used in a phonetics context in American Anthropologist in 1934:

{{cquote|λ for [dl] has been used in Eskimo by Jenness ... ƛ for [tł] is an innovation formed from λ as ł from l.{{cite journal | author=Herzog, George | author-link=George Herzog | author2=Newman, Stanley S. | author3=Sapir, Edward | author3-link=Edward Sapir | author4=Swadesh, Mary Haas | author4-link=Mary Haas | author5=Swadesh, Morris | author5-link=Morris Swadesh | author6=Voegelin, Charles F. | author6-link=Charles F. Voegelin |date=Oct–Dec 1934 | title=Some orthographic recommendations | journal=American Anthropologist | volume=36 | issue=4 | pages=629–631 | doi=10.1525/aa.1934.36.4.02a00300| doi-access=free }}

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It is also used for the affricate [t͡ɬ] in transcribing the Sahaptin language, e.g., iƛúpna ‘he jumped’, and it is commonly used for the same purpose in several languages of the Caucasus. In addition, its counterpart with a combining comma above right (U+0315), {{Ill|Barred lambda with comma|lt=ƛ̓|fr|ƛ̓}}, is used for many of the Salish languages, such as Klallam, for an ejective lateral affricate [t͡ɬʼ].