In
Australian linguistics, the peripheral consonants are a
natural class encompassing consonants
articulated at the extremes of the mouth:
labials (
lip) and
velars (
soft palate). That is, they are the non-
coronal consonants (
palatal,
dental,
alveolar, and
postalveolar
Postalveolar or post-alveolar consonants are consonants articulated with the tongue near or touching the ''back'' of the alveolar ridge. Articulation is farther back in the mouth than the alveolar consonants, which are at the ridge itself, but no ...
). In
Australian languages, these consonants pattern together both
phonotactically and
acoustically
''Acoustically'' is the fourth studio album by ARIA Award winning, Torres Strait Islander
Torres Strait Islanders () are the Indigenous Melanesian people of the Torres Strait Islands, which are part of the state of Queensland, Australia. ...
. In
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...
and
Maltese
Maltese may refer to:
* Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta
* Maltese alphabet
* Maltese cuisine
* Maltese culture
* Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people
* Maltese people, people from Malta or of Malte ...
philology, the
moon letters transcribe non-coronal consonants, but they do not form a natural class.
Phonology
Australian languages typically favour peripheral consonants word- and syllable-initially, and they are not allowed or common word- and syllable-finally, unlike the
apicals.
In the extinct
Martuthunira, the peripheral stops and shared similar
allophony. Whereas the other stops could be voiced between vowels or following a nasal, the peripherals were usually voiceless.
See also
*
Rhinoglottophilia
References
{{articulation navbox
Place of articulation
Australian Aboriginal languages