Definition
cacuminals
noun
- Plural of cacuminal; consonant sounds articulated with the tip of the tongue curled back toward the hard palate.
Usage: linguistics; phonetics
adjective
- Relating to or denoting consonant sounds produced with the tip of the tongue curled back toward the hard palate.
Usage: linguistics; phonetics
Examples
- In Hindi, cacuminal consonants are distinct phonemes that differ from dental consonants.
- The linguist explained that cacuminal sounds are common in many Indian languages.
- English speakers often struggle to produce cacuminal consonants correctly.
- The retroflex or cacuminal articulation requires precise tongue positioning.
- Cacuminal consonants are characterized by the curled-back position of the tongue tip.