The ''sj''-sound ( sv, sj-ljudet ) is a

voiceless In linguistics, voicelessness is the property of sounds being pronounced without the larynx vibrating. Phonologically, it is a type of phonation, which contrasts with other states of the larynx, but some object that the word phonation implies ...

fricative A fricative is a consonant produced by forcing air through a narrow channel made by placing two articulators close together. These may be the lower lip against the upper teeth, in the case of ; the back of the tongue against the soft palate in ...

phoneme In phonology and linguistics, a phoneme () is a unit of sound that can distinguish one word from another in a particular language. For example, in most dialects of English, with the notable exception of the West Midlands and the north-wes ...

found in most

dialects The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a ...

of the sound system of Swedish. It has a variety of realisations, whose precise

phonetic Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies how humans produce and perceive sounds, or in the case of sign languages, the equivalent aspects of sign. Linguists who specialize in studying the physical properties of speech are phoneticians. ...

characterisation is a matter of debate, but which usually feature distinct

labialization Labialization is a secondary articulatory feature of sounds in some languages. Labialized sounds involve the lips while the remainder of the oral cavity produces another sound. The term is normally restricted to consonants. When vowels involv ...

. The sound is represented in

Swedish orthography Swedish orthography is the set of rules and conventions used for writing Swedish. The primary authority on Swedish orthography is ''Svenska Akademiens ordlista'' (SAOL), a spelling dictionary published annually by the Swedish Academy. The balan ...

by a number of spellings, including the digraph from which the common Swedish name for the sound is derived, as well as , , and (before

front vowel A front vowel is a class of vowel sounds used in some spoken languages, its defining characteristic being that the highest point of the tongue is positioned as far forward as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction that would otherw ...

s) . The sound should not be confused with the Swedish ''tj''-sound , often spelled , , or (before front vowels) . The sound is transcribed in the

International Phonetic Alphabet The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is an alphabetic system of phonetic notation based primarily on the Latin script. It was devised by the International Phonetic Association in the late 19th century as a standardized representation ...

. The

International Phonetic Association The International Phonetic Association (IPA; French: ', ''API'') is an organization that promotes the scientific study of phonetics and the various practical applications of that science. The IPA's major contribution to phonetics is the Inter ...

(IPA) describes it as a "simultaneous and ", but this realization is not attested from any language, and phoneticians doubt that it occurs in other languages..
Other descriptive labels include: * ''Voiceless postalveolo-velar fricative'' * ''Voiceless palatal-velar fricative'' * ''Voiceless dorso-palatal velar fricative'' * ''Voiceless postalveolar and velar fricative'' * ''Voiceless coarticulated velar and palatoalveolar fricative'' The closest sound found in English, as well as many other languages, is the

voiceless postalveolar fricative A voiceless postalveolar fricative is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. The International Phonetic Association uses the term ''voiceless postalveolar fricative'' only for the sound , but it also describes the voiceless ...

(Swedish words with the sound correspond to English words with "sh"), with another approximation being the

voiceless labialized velar approximant In linguistics, voicelessness is the property of sounds being pronounced without the larynx vibrating. Phonologically, it is a type of phonation, which contrasts with other states of the larynx, but some object that the word phonation implies v ...

found in some English dialects. Regionally, it varies from being more -like in the standard speech, to being more -like in northern Sweden and Finland.

Features

Features of the ''sj''-sound: * Its

place of articulation In articulatory phonetics, the place of articulation (also point of articulation) of a consonant is a location along the vocal tract where its production occurs. It is a point where a constriction is made between an active and a passive articula ...

varies by dialect, but usually include a velar component.

Occurrence

Dialects of Swedish

This sound has been reported in certain dialects of

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

, where it is most often known as the ''sj''-sound. Its

varies over Swedish regions and is not agreed upon. It has been variously found to be the following: *

velar Velars are consonants articulated with the back part of the tongue (the dorsum) against the soft palate, the back part of the roof of the mouth (known also as the velum). Since the velar region of the roof of the mouth is relatively extensive a ...

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 n ...

, meaning it is articulated simultaneously with the

tongue The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered by taste ...

dorsum (i.e. the back part of the tongue) approximating the

velum Velum may refer to: Human anatomy * Superior medullary velum, anterior medullary velum or valve of Vieussens, white matter, in the brain, which stretches between the superior cerebellar peduncles ** Frenulum of superior medullary velum, a slightl ...

(i.e. the soft

palate The palate () is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly separ ...

, like ) and just behind the teeth (like ). However, doubly articulated fricatives are very difficult to pronounce or to hear, and many linguists doubt that they exist. * Lindblad describes one of two common variants of Swedish as

labiodental In phonetics, labiodentals are consonants articulated with the lower lip and the upper teeth. Labiodental consonants in the IPA The labiodental consonants identified by the International Phonetic Alphabet are: The IPA chart shades out ''labio ...

with simultaneous

velarization Velarization is a secondary articulation of consonants by which the back of the tongue is raised toward the velum during the articulation of the consonant. In the International Phonetic Alphabet, velarization is transcribed by one of four di ...

and protrusion of the upper lip, which would be transcribed as . (The English sigh of relief ''phew!'' is one approximation, as is the

voiceless labial-velar approximant In linguistics, voicelessness is the property of sounds being pronounced without the larynx vibrating. Phonologically, it is a type of phonation, which contrasts with other states of the larynx, but some object that the word phonation implies ...

that is used in some varieties of English.) He does not use the symbol for this allophone. * Lindblad describes the second common variant of Swedish as

. The difference between it and the cardinal velar is not clear, but it may have less friction , or be further forward , or both. * Riad notes that the basic dorsal place of assimilation can be determined by the place of assimilation of a preceding nasal, with ''en skjorta'' 'a shirt', for example, being pronounced . He notes a labialized allophone . * A number of intermediate possibilities between these extremes. * Other articulations have been described as well, with no obvious standard emerging. Consider the following comments by

Peter Ladefoged Peter Nielsen Ladefoged ( , ; 17 September 1925 – 24 January 2006) was a British linguist and phonetician. He was Professor of Phonetics at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he taught from 1962 to 1991. His book '' A Cour ...

and

Ian Maddieson Ian Maddieson (born September 1, 1942 in Watford, United Kingdom) is British-American linguist and professor emeritus of linguistics at the University of New Mexico, in the United States. He has served as Vice-President of the International Phone ...

Kölsch

A sound transcribed with is also reported to occur in the Kölsch variety of Ripuarian in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

, being articulated in positions in words that enveloping

Standard German Standard High German (SHG), less precisely Standard German or High German (not to be confused with High German dialects, more precisely Upper German dialects) (german: Standardhochdeutsch, , or, in Switzerland, ), is the standardized variety ...

has . The acoustic difference between and the Kölsch is difficult to perceive but the articulation is clearly distinct. Whether or not there is a relation between Swedish and the Kölsch is not known. While none seems to have been established, comments suggest that the choice of might well have been based upon a misunderstanding. Certainly, the Kölsch is not doubly articulated and even contrasts with a slightly

velarized Velarization is a secondary articulation of consonants by which the back of the tongue is raised toward the velum during the articulation of the consonant. In the International Phonetic Alphabet, velarization is transcribed by one of four d ...

. Some phoneticians suggest that is a better symbol for this sound, but this is not established practice, and may need further research.

Himalayan languages

A sound transcribed with is also reported word-initially and word-medially in the

Wutun language The Wutun language () is a Chinese– Tibetan– Mongolian creole language. It is spoken by about 4,000 people, most of whom are classified as Monguor (Tu) by the Chinese government. Wutun speakers reside in two villages (Upper Wutun 上五屯 ...

, where it has been described as a dorso-palatal/velar glide. The symbol is also used in describing a sound in the

Bahing language Bahing ancestors named Paiwa, Dungmowa, Rukhusalu, Waripsawa, Timriwa, Dhimriwa, Nayango, Dhayango, Khaliwa/Khaluwa, Rendukpa/Rendu, Rungbu/Rumdali/Diburcha/Thamrocha) is a language spoken by 11,658 people (2011 census) of the Bahing ethnic grou ...

of Nepal.p. 230. Lee, Maureen. "Issues in Bahing orthography development." ''Himalayan Linguistics'' 10, no. 1 (2011) 227-252.

Notes

References

* * * *

External links

* {{IPA navigation Fricative consonants Swedish language Co-articulated consonants Voiceless oral consonants Central consonants Pulmonic consonants