retroflex
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See also: Retroflex
English
Etymology
From Latin rētrōflexus, the perfect participle of rētrōflectō (“bend, turn”), from flectō (“bend, turn”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɹɛt.ɹəʊ.flɛks/, /ˈɹɛt.ɹə.flɛks/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɹɛt.ɹoʊ.flɛks/, /ˈɹɛt.ɹə.flɛks/
Adjective
retroflex (comparative more retroflex, superlative most retroflex)
- Bent or curved backwards.
- (phonetics) Of pronunciation in which the tip of the tongue is raised and bent backwards, so that the underside of the tongue approaches or touches the palate.
- (phonetics) Of pronunciation in which the tip of the tongue approaches or touches the back of the alveolar ridge.
- (phonetics) Of pronunciation in which the blade of the tongue approaches or touches the back of the alveolar ridge.
- (phonetics, general sense) Of any of the aforementioned pronunciations.
Synonyms
- (bent backwards): reflexed
- (of pronunciation with the tongue underside): subapical palatal
- (of pronunciation with the tongue tip): apical postalveolar
- (of pronunciation with the tongue blade): laminal postalveolar, flat postalveolar
Related terms
Translations
bent backwards
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of pronunciation in which the tongue underside approaches/touches the palate
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of pronunciation in which the tongue tip approaches/touches the back of the alveolar ridge
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of pronunciation in which the tongue blade approaches/touches the back of the alveolar ridge
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of any of the retroflex pronunciations
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Noun
retroflex (plural retroflexes)
- (phonetics) A consonant pronounced with the underside of the tongue approaching or touching the palate.
- (phonetics) A consonant pronounced with the tip of the tongue approaching or touching the back of the alveolar ridge.
- (phonetics) A consonant pronounced with the blade of the tongue approaching or touching the back of the alveolar ridge.
- (phonetics, general sense) Any of the aforementioned consonants.
Translations
consonant pronounced with the tongue underside approaching/touching the palate
consonant pronounced with the tongue tip approaching/touching the back of the alveolar ridge
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consonant pronounced with the tongue blade approaching/touching the back of the alveolar ridge
any of the retroflex consonants
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Verb
retroflex (third-person singular simple present retroflexes, present participle retroflexing, simple past and past participle retroflexed)
- (transitive) To bend or curve backwards.
- 2010, Stephen Nicholls, Stephen Worthley, Cardiovascular Imaging for Clinical Practice, page 123:
- […] retroflexing the endoscope tip and mechanically rotating the transducer.
See also
Retroflex consonant on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
German
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Adjective
retroflex (strong nominative masculine singular retroflexer, not comparable)
Declension
Positive forms of retroflex (uncomparable)
Related terms
- Retroflex (“retroflex consonant”)