ABSTRACT
A semi-vowel has characteristics of a vowel and a consonant. It is an independent vowel glide in which the tongue starts from the position of a close vowel, such as i, u, and immediately moves to some more open position, to that of a vowel of greater sonority. Thus w is the semi-vowel beginning from the u or o position and y the semi-vowel from the i or e position. The consonantal character of a semi-vowel lies in the fact that it has little sonority: it cannot have syllabic quality nor can it bear a specific tone. Because of its relationship to i, y is called the palatal semi-vowel. But in addition to tongue position, w has also rounded and somewhat protruded lips: and the lips as well as the tongue move in the production of the sound: thus it has a double articulation, labial as well as velar, and is called the labio-velar semi-vowel.
