What does obstruent mean?
An obstruent is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages, characterized by obstructing airflow with the tongue, teeth, or lips. This class of sounds includes plosives, fricatives, and affricates, which are made by blocking airflow and then releasing it with a burst of air or a continuant flow. Obstruents are contrasted with sonorants, which are made with a relatively open vocal tract. The term 'obstruent' is used in phonetics and linguistics to describe this class of sounds, and is a useful concept for understanding the sound systems of languages. Obstruents play a crucial role in distinguishing words and conveying meaning in spoken language.
Of or relating to a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages, characterized by obstructing airflow with the tongue, teeth, or lips.
"The sounds /p/ and /b/ are examples of bilabial obstruent consonants in English."
A consonantal sound made by obstructing airflow with the tongue, teeth, or lips.
"The phonetician studied the acoustic properties of obstruents."
The plural form 'obstruents' is used to refer to multiple consonantal sounds of this type.
"The language has a large number of obstruents in its sound system."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of obstruent
The word 'obstruent' comes from the Latin 'obstruere', meaning 'to block' or 'to obstruct'. This Latin term is derived from 'ob-', meaning 'against' or 'toward', and 'struere', meaning 'to build' or 'to pile up'. The word 'obstruent' has been used in English since the 17th century to describe a type of consonantal sound that obstructs airflow.
How obstruent is actually used
In linguistics, the term 'obstruent' is used to describe a class of consonantal sounds. It is a technical term and may not be familiar to non-experts.