frikatiivi

Frikatiivi is a term used in Finnish linguistics to denote the class of fricative consonants, those produced with a continuous airstream through a narrow constriction in the vocal tract that creates audible turbulence. The word is the Finnish noun form derived from the English term fricative, adapted with the Finnish suffix -tiivi to designate a linguistic class.

Articulation and features. Frikatiivit are characterized by a constriction that is partial rather than complete, allowing air to flow and generate turbulent noise. They are classified by place of articulation, including labiodental (as in f), dental or interdental (such as θ or ð in some languages), alveolar (s, z), postalveolar (ʃ, ʒ), palatal (ɕ, ʑ in certain languages), and glottal (h). Most frikatiivit contrast in voicing, producing pairs such as f–v, s–z, and ʃ–ʒ, though some languages have limited or no voicing contrast for certain fricatives. In many languages, fricatives may have additional allophonic variation or positional effects (such as devoicing at word endings).

Acoustic and cross-linguistic notes. The defining acoustic cue for frikatiivit is aperiodic noise generated by the turbulent airstream, with spectral energy distributed across a range of frequencies depending on place of articulation. Frikatiivit play a central role in the consonant inventories of many languages and interact with surrounding vowels and consonants through processes such as assimilation and coarticulation. They are distinct from stops and affricates, which involve complete or near-complete closures.

See also. Fricative, consonant, voicing, phonetics.