keeletajus

Keeletajus is a term used in Estonian-language discussions of language perception and speech production to denote the perceptual awareness of tongue position and movement during speech, and the way such awareness informs planning and monitoring of articulation. It is not a universally standardized term in international linguistics, but it is encountered in educational materials, phonetics discussions, and popular science explanations about how speakers monitor their own speech.

Etymology: The word combines keel (language or tongue) with taju (perception) and the suffix -us to form a noun describing a cognitive phenomenon. The sense is akin to “tongue perception” or “perception of tongue movements.”

Function and scope: Keeletajus refers to the integrated sensory feedback loop in which proprioceptive information from the tongue, lips, and jaw is combined with auditory feedback to adjust articulation in real time. It also denotes conscious awareness of articulatory gestures in some speakers. In studies of speech development and disorders, it may be described as part of the motor control system that underpins fluent speech.

Applications and relation to disorders: In clinical contexts, heightened or altered keeletajus may be discussed in relation to articulatory awareness, motor speech disorders, or stuttering, where feedback monitoring is relevant to therapy. However, much of its use remains informal or pedagogical rather than a formal diagnostic category.

Related topics include articulation, phonetics, proprioception, speech therapy, and motor control. References include Estonian-language sources on phonetics and speech science.