vokalisch

Vokalisch is a German linguistic term used to describe sounds or features that are related to vowels or have vowel-like properties. The root is Vokal, meaning "vowel," and the suffix -isch marks an adjectival form, yielding the English equivalent "vocalic." In practice, vokalisch is used to refer to elements that function as or resemble the nucleus of a syllable, typically vowels, but can also include syllabic consonants in certain phonological analyses.

In phonology and phonetics, vocalic (vokalisch) properties are contrasted with consonantal properties. Vokalisch segments are characterized by a relatively open vocal tract and vowel-like sonority. This concept helps describe how certain sounds serve as the syllable core or behave like vowels in a given language, even when they are not strictly vowel phonemes. For example, vowels are the prototypical vocalic elements, while some languages allow syllabic consonants to fulfill a similar nucleus role.

Usage and scope vary by language and theoretical framework. In German-language phonology, vokalische Laute or vokalische Eigenschaften are common terms when discussing vowel quality, syllable structure, and the treatment of syllabic consonants. In English-language literature, the direct translation is “vocalic,” and the concept is often discussed in relation to vowels, syllables, and the nucleus of a syllable.

See also: vowels, syllables, syllabic consonants, phonology, phonetics.