konsonantisch

Konsonantisch is a German adjective meaning "consonantal" or "relating to consonants." In linguistics and phonetics it denotes sounds or properties associated with consonants as opposed to vowels. As a distinctive feature in phonological theory, konsonantisch typically characterizes segments produced with a significant obstruction or narrowing of the vocal tract; most obstruents (stops, fricatives, affricates) and many sonorants (nasals, laterals) are described as konsonantisch, while vowels are treated as non-konsonantisch. Borderline cases such as glides and some approximants may be analyzed variably, appearing as either konsonantisch or non-konsonantisch depending on the theoretical framework.

The term also appears in grammatical descriptions in German, for example in the phrase konsonantische Deklination (consonant-stem declension), used in the study of inflectional classes in languages such as Latin and Ancient Greek to distinguish stems ending in consonants from vowel stems. In orthography and phonology teaching, konsonantisch is used descriptively to contrast consonant behavior, distribution, and alternations with vocalic patterns.

Usage is primarily descriptive and theory-dependent: precise membership of the konsonantisch category can vary with different phonological models, but the core idea remains the contrast between segments with marked oral constriction (consonants) and those without (vowels and vowel-like sounds).