klankrijk

Klankrijk is a Dutch term used to describe a language, dialect, or sound system with a notably diverse and dense configuration of sounds. The word combines klank (sound) and rijk (rich). In contemporary Dutch-language linguistics and popular language writing, klankrijk functions as a qualitative descriptor rather than a formal typology.

In linguistic usage, a klankrijk language is characterized by a large phoneme inventory, multiple consonant and vowel contrasts, and often complex syllable structures or prominent phonotactic possibilities. It may include extensive allophony, rich prosody, tone or pitch-accent systems, and a wide range of phonetic nuance across dialects. The term is also used in discussions of constructed languages and in ethnomusicology or sound studies to describe soundscapes or recordings with dense timbral variety.

Because it is informal, there is no universal threshold for what counts as klankrijk. The label is largely contextual and subjective, dependent on the speaker's reference framework and communicative goals. As such, it complements rather than replaces formal classifications based on phoneme inventory size, syllable structure, or tonal system.

See also phonology, phonetics, phonotactics, sound symbolism.