dorsivoi

Dorsivoi is a term used in linguistics to describe a set of grammatical features found in certain languages that relate to the back of the mouth. Specifically, it often refers to dorsal articulation, a type of consonant sound produced with the back of the tongue against the soft palate or uvula. Examples of dorsal consonants include the velar stops /k/ and /g/, and the uvular stops /q/ and /ɢ/.

Beyond articulation, "dorsivoi" can also encompass phenomena related to vowel harmony or other phonological processes where sounds in a word are influenced by the position of the tongue, particularly its backness. In languages exhibiting dorsal harmony, vowels are often categorized as front or back, and within a word, vowels tend to belong to the same category. This can affect the pronunciation of suffixes or other grammatical elements.

The concept of "dorsivoi" is important for understanding the phonological systems of many languages, particularly those in families like Turkic, Uralic, and Semitic. It highlights how the physical articulatory space of the mouth, specifically the back of the tongue, plays a significant role in shaping the sound patterns and grammatical structures of human languages. Analysis of these dorsal features contributes to the broader study of phonetics and phonology.