aspirativ

Aspirativ is a term used in phonology and phonetics to describe features related to aspiration in speech sounds. Depending on the linguistic tradition or source, aspirativ may denote either a class of consonants produced with a noticeable burst of air (aspirated consonants) or a phonological feature that marks aspiration. The term is not universally standardized, and its precise meaning can vary across languages and grammars.

In practice, aspirativ is associated with the phonetic property of aspiration, often realized as a brief period of voiceless frication after the release of a voiceless stop, and is commonly transcribed with an aspiration indicator such as pʰ, tʰ, kʰ. Some languages distinguish aspirated and unaspirated consonants as distinct phonemes; in others, aspiration functions as an allophonic or phonetic realization rather than a separate phoneme inventory.

Aspirativity also appears in cross-linguistic descriptions of languages that contrast aspirated and unaspirated stops, as well as in analyses where breathy or creaky voice interacts with aspiration. The exact set of aspirativ sounds is language-specific and may include stops, and in some descriptions, affricates or other consonants, depending on the phonological system being described.

In summary, aspirativ refers to the phenomena surrounding aspiration in speech sounds, with usage that varies by linguistic tradition. It is related to, but distinct from, broader concepts such as aspiration, phonation, and phonemic contrast. See also aspiration, aspirated consonant, phonetics, and phonology.