aspirata, aspirate (n.)

aspiration (n.)

A term in PHONETICS for the audible breath which may accompany a sound’s ARTICULATION, as when certain types of PLOSIVE CONSONANT are released. It is usually symbolized by a small raised [^h] following the main symbol. In examples such as English pin [p^hIn], the aspiration may be felt by holding the back of the hand close to the mouth while saying the word; the contrast with bin, where there is no aspiration, is noticeable. Some languages, such as Hindi, have contrasts of aspiration applying to both voiceless and VOICED STOPS, viz. a four-way contrast of [p-], [p^h-], [b-], and [b^h-]. In some phonetic environments the aspiration effect varies, as when in English the PLOSIVES are followed by /l, r, w, j/: here the aspiration devoices these consonants, as in please, twice, queue. Following initial /s/, the aspiration contrast is lost altogether, as in [spIn]. Sounds other than plosives may be aspirated, but they are less commonly encountered. In a more detailed analysis, pre-aspiration (aspiration before the consonant) can be distinguished from post-aspiration (aspiration after the consonant); both features occur, for example, in Scottish Gaelic. In nineteenth-century comparative PHILOLOGY, the term aspirate (or aspirata) was applied to any sound involving audible breath in the articulation, including voiceless plosives and FRICATIVES.