A fiberoptic naso, laryngoscopic study of the two pharyngeal Arabic phonemes h and q

Abstract EN

Twenty-nine middle aged Jordanian Arabic speakers were examined using fiberoptic naso-pharyngo-laryngoscopy aiming to investigate thoroughly the place and manner of articulation of the Arabic pharyngeal phonemes / h / & / c /.

The place of articulation, indicated by the most degree of narrowing allover the vocal tract in all subjects, was the level of laryngo-pharynx.

The main ‘articulator’ was the epiglottis.

This was true for both / h / & / q / with backward movement of the tongue root pharyngeal walls at two levels; namely: laryngeal elevation was recorded.