Phonetic Correlates of [Coronal]

This chapter reviews earlier descriptions concerning the topology of the tongue. With this as a basis, the chapter explicates assumptions concerning the tongue's functional divisions. It presents an overview of the term coronal, as it has been defined in the literature. Then, by drawing on both phonetic and phonological data, the chapter discusses the revised definition and class of coronal sounds. The chapter also reviews the acoustic properties of coronals. Catford divides the upper surface of the tongue into four regions: the tip, the blade, the antero-dorsum and the postero-dorsum. Catford classifies the tip as the central point of the tongue's rim, with the rim being the forward edge of the tongue. Keating notes that: "we will consider the blade of the tongue to be the movable part extending from one to two centimeters behind the tip, and we will consider the tip to include a small rim around the end of the tongue."