lateraaliset

Lateraaliset, literally “lateral sounds” in phonetics, denote consonants produced with air escaping around the sides of the tongue while the central part blocks the airstream. The term is used to classify a subset of consonantal sounds across world languages and in linguistic analysis.

Articulation and types. The primary groups are lateral approximants (such as the alveolar lateral approximant [l]); lateral fricatives (for example a voiceless alveolar lateral fricative [ɬ]); and, less commonly, lateral affricates. Some languages have multiple lateral consonants, including distinct voiced and voiceless variants. The defining feature is the use of a lateral channel for the airstream rather than a purely central occlusion.

Occurrence. Lateral sounds occur in many languages. The most widespread lateral is the [l] sound, found in English, Finnish, and numerous other languages. Welsh is notable for its voiceless lateral fricative [ɬ], and some languages contrast lateral and non-lateral consonants phonemically. Finnish uses a relatively simple system centered on the alveolar lateral approximant, without a standard lateral fricative in its standard varieties.

Orthography and phonology. In writing systems, lateral sounds are typically represented by the letter L or by digraphs in some languages. In phonological analysis, lateral sounds interact with syllable structure, tongue position, and voicing context, forming a core area of study within phonetics and phonology.