palatalize

especially British, pal·a·tal·ise

[pal-uh-tl-ahyz]

verb (used with object)

palatalized, palatalizing 

1. to articulate (a consonant other than a normal palatal) as a palatal or with relatively more contact between the blade of the tongue and the hard palate, as in certain pronunciations of the l- sound in million.

verb (used without object)

palatalized, palatalizing 

1. (of a consonant) to undergo palatalization.

palatalize

/ ˈpælətəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to pronounce (a speech sound) with the blade of the tongue touching the palate

Other Word Forms

• palatalization noun
• nonpalatalization noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of palatalize¹

First recorded in 1865–70; palatal + -ize

Example Sentences

The ultimate origin of the word is obscure; the early forms appear with a palatalized initial letter, still surviving in such dialectical forms as “yate,” or in Scots “yett.”

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In other dialects, however, it had been palatalized to a sibilant before i-sounds some time before the Christian era; e.g. in the Umbrian fa�ia = Latin facial.

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This Lindelöf explains as due to the different quality of the h—in W.  S. it was guttural, hence caused breaking; in Nhb. it was palatal and hence the preceding a was palatalized to æ.

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Just to what extent g, c, sc were palatalized in O. Nhb. is not definitely known.

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