nenäsoinnit

Nenäsoinnit, also known as nasal harmony, is a phonological phenomenon found in some languages where vowels within a word are influenced by nasal consonants or nasalized vowels. This influence typically results in the nasalization of vowels that are in close proximity to nasal sounds. The extent and nature of nasal harmony vary significantly between languages. In some cases, all vowels in a word may become nasalized if there is at least one nasal sound present. In other languages, the harmony might be restricted to specific vowels or only occur within certain parts of a word.

The precise mechanisms and triggers for nasal harmony are a subject of linguistic research. Factors such as the position of the nasal consonant (e.g., initial, medial, or final) and the type of vowel can play a role. Some theories suggest that nasal harmony arises from the aerodynamic process of air flowing through both the oral and nasal cavities simultaneously, leading to a velar lowering that affects surrounding vowels. This phenomenon is observed in various language families, including Turkic languages like Turkish, where it is a prominent feature, as well as some Indo-European languages and others across the globe. The presence or absence of nasal harmony is a key characteristic used in language classification and in understanding phonological variation.