palatal

adjective pal·a·tal \ˈpa-lə-t^əl\

linguistics of a speech sound : made by placing the tongue so that it is near or touching the top surface (called the palate) of your mouth

Full Definition of PALATAL

a : formed with some part of the tongue near or touching the hard palate posterior to the teethridge <the \sh\ and \y\ in English and the \ḵ\ of ich \iḵ\ in German are examples of palatal consonants>

b of a vowel : front 2

: of, relating to, forming, or affecting the palate

— palatal noun

— pal·a·tal·ly \-t^əl-ē\ adverb

See palatal defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of PALATAL

1668

Medical Dictionary

palatal

adjective pal·a·tal \ˈpal-ət-^əl\

Medical Definition of PALATAL

: of, relating to, forming, or affecting the palate <palatal itching>

—pal·a·tal·ly \-^əl-ē\ adverb

Learn More About PALATAL

Britannica English: Translation of "palatal" for Arabic speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about "palatal"

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Next Word in the Dictionary: palatalismPrevious Word in the Dictionary: palatableAll Words Near: palatal

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