Uvular flap

Uvular flap
ɢ̆
IPA number	112 505
Encoding
Entity (decimal)	ɢ​̆
Unicode (hex)	U+0262 U+0306

The uvular flap is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. There is no dedicated symbol for this sound in the IPA. It can specified by adding a 'short' diacritic to the letter for the uvular plosive, ⟨ɢ̆⟩, but normally it is covered by the unmodified letter for the uvular trill, ⟨ʀ⟩, since the two have never been reported to contrast.

The uvular flap is not known to exist as a phoneme in any language. However, it has been reported as an allophone of other sounds in various languages, including:

• an initial pharyngeal approximant in Southern Okanagan,
• /ɡ/ in unstressed syllables in Supyire,
• the velar lateral fricative // in Wahgi.

More commonly, it is said to vary with the much more frequent uvular trill, and is most likely a single-contact trill [ʀ̆] rather than an actual flap in these languages. (The primary difference between a flap and a trill is that of the airstream, not the number of contacts.)

Features

Features of the uvular flap:

• Its manner of articulation is flap, which means it is produced with a single contraction of the muscles so that one articulator (usually the tongue) is thrown against another.
• Its place of articulation is uvular, which means it is articulated with the back of the tongue (the dorsum) at the uvula.
• Its phonation is voiced, which means the vocal cords vibrate during the articulation.
• It is an oral consonant, which means air is allowed to escape through the mouth only.
• It is a central consonant, which means it is produced by directing the airstream along the center of the tongue, rather than to the sides.
• The airstream mechanism is pulmonic, which means it is articulated by pushing air solely with the lungs and diaphragm, as in most sounds.

Occurrence

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Supyire		tadugugo	[taduɢ̆uɢ̆o]	'place to go up'	may also be pronounced [taduɢ̆uɡo], as [ɢ̆] and [ɡ] may be in free variation
Okanagan	Southern		[ɢ̆àlə́p]	'lose'	Corresponds to [ʕ] in other varieties

Bibliography

• Carlson, Robert (1994). A Grammar of Supyire. Walter de Gruyter. 
• Kinkade, M. Dale (1967). "Uvular-Pharyngeal Resonants in Interior Salish". International Journal of American Linguistics 33 (3): 228–234. 
• Phillips, Donald J. (1976). Wahgi Phonology and Morphology.