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Voiceless labial–velar plosive

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Voiceless labial–velar plosive
k͡p
IPA number109 (101)
Audio sample
Encoding
Entity (decimal)k​͡​p
Unicode (hex)U+006B U+0361 U+0070

A voiceless labial–velar plosive or stop is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. It is a [k] and [p] pronounced simultaneously and is considered a double articulation.[1] To make this sound, one can say Coe but with the lips closed as if one were saying Poe; the lips are to be released at the same time as or a fraction of a second after the C of Coe. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨k͡p⟩.

A voiceless labial–velar plosive is found in Vietnamese and various languages in West and Central Africa. In the orthography of Yoruba in Nigeria it is written with a simple ⟨p⟩.

Features

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Features of a voiceless labial–velar stop:

Varieties

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k͡p Plain
k͡pʲ Palatalized
k͡pʷ Labialized
k͡pᵑ͡ᵐ With nasal release

Occurrence

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Language Word IPA Meaning Notes
Dangme[2] kpà [k͡pà] 'to roam'
Ega[3] [k͡pá] 'build a hedge to enclose a field'
Ibibio[4] kpa [k͡pɐ́] 'to die'
Igbo[5] kpọ́ [k͡pɔ́] 'call'
Kalabari[6] àkpà [àk͡pà] 'bag'
Mono[7] kpa [k͡pa] 'flee'
Nigerian Pidgin[8] [example needed] Phonemic. Found in substrate words and later loanwords from native Nigerian languages. See Languages of Nigeria.
Saramaccan[9] akpó [ak͡pó] 'arrow type' Possibly allophonic with /kʷ/, but possibly phonemic as well.
Vietnamese[10] c [luk͡p˧˥] 'when, time' Allophone of /k/ after /u, o, ɔ/. See Vietnamese phonology
Tarok[11] kpán [k͡pán] 'to hold' / 'to catch'
Tyap kpa [k͡pa] 'pestle'
Yoruba pápá [k͡pák͡pá] 'field'

Rounded variant

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Voiceless labialized labial–velar plosive
k͡pʷ

Some languages, especially in Papua New Guinea and in Vanuatu, combine this voiceless labial–velar stop with a labial–velar approximant release, hence [k͡pʷ]. Thus Mwotlap (Banks Islands, north Vanuatu) has [k͡pʷɪlɣɛk] ('my father-in-law').[12]

In the Banks Islands languages which have it, the phoneme /k͡pʷ/ is written q in local orthographies. In other languages of Vanuatu further south (such as South Efate, or Lenakel), the same segment is spelled .

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Catford & Esling 2006, p. 438:

    … the commonest double articulations consist of the simultaneous articulation of stops at two locations, most frequently labial-velar [kp] [gb], written [k͡p] [ɡ͡b] when the coarticulation has to be made explicit in transcription. This particular type of double articulation is often called ‘labiovelar,’ a term which must be avoided in a strictly systematic phonetic taxonomy in which the first half of such a compound term refers to the lower articulator.

  2. ^ Kropp Dakubu (1987:13)
  3. ^ Connell, Ahoua & Gibbon (2002:100)
  4. ^ Urua (2004:106)
  5. ^ Eme & Uba (2016:71)
  6. ^ Harry (2003:113)
  7. ^ Olson (2004:233)
  8. ^ Faraclas (1996), pp. 248–249.
  9. ^ McWhorter & Good (2012)
  10. ^ Thompson (1959:458–461)
  11. ^ Onah, Patrick El-Kanemi; Israel, T. Gamypal (Dec 2022). "A Phonological Description of Tarok" (PDF). Journal of English and Communication in Africa. 5 (3&4): 1–24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  12. ^ François (2005:117)

References

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