RETROFLEXION Meaning and
Definition
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Retroflexion refers to the articulatory process in which a speech sound is produced with the tip or blade of the tongue curled or bent backward towards the roof of the mouth. This term is commonly used in phonetics and phonology, specifically in the analysis of consonant sounds.
In retroflexion, the tongue tip or blade approaches the alveolar ridge or the hard palate located in the upper mouth cavity. This can create a constriction or obstruction in airflow, resulting in the production of retroflex sounds. The retroflex position is often described as having the tongue curled or arched backward, reflecting its Latin roots where "retro" means back and "flectere" means to bend.
Retroflexion is observed in various languages across the world, particularly in the production of retroflex consonants. These sounds are characterized by their distinct articulation, with the tongue forming a hump or curve in the oral cavity that helps differentiate them from other sounds. Examples of retroflex consonants include the retroflex approximant /ɻ/ found in American English, and retroflex plosives /ʈ/ and /ɖ/ found in languages like Hindi or Mandarin Chinese.
Overall, retroflexion is an essential concept in phonetics and articulatory phonology, as it helps understand and analyze the production of specific consonant sounds where the tongue is bent or curled backwards.
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Retroflection, backward bending, as of the uterus when the body is bent back, forming an angle with the cervix.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for RETROFLEXION
- eetroflexion
- detroflexion
- fetroflexion
- tetroflexion
- 5etroflexion
- 4etroflexion
- rwtroflexion
- rstroflexion
- rdtroflexion
- rrtroflexion
- r4troflexion
- r3troflexion
- rerroflexion
- refroflexion
- regroflexion
- reyroflexion
- re6roflexion
- re5roflexion
- reteoflexion
- retroflexshon
Etymology of RETROFLEXION
The word "retroflexion" is derived from the Latin roots "retro-" meaning "backwards" or "behind", and "flectere" meaning "to bend" or "to curve". When combined, "retro-" and "flectere" form the Latin word "retroflexus", meaning "bent backwards". From there, the term was anglicized to "retroflexion", which refers to the act of bending or curving backward. In a linguistic context, retroflexion specifically refers to the pronunciation of sounds where the tongue is curled or flexed backward towards the roof of the mouth.
Similar spelling words for RETROFLEXION
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