The place of articulation is determined by the active organ of speech against the point of articulation. There may be one place of articulation or focus, or two places of articulation or foci when active organs of speech contact with two points of articulation. In the first case consonants are called u n i ñ e n t. r a I, in the second they are b i ñ e n t r a 1.
Russian palatalized consonants are bicentral as the front part of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate, forming a front secondary focus and thus palatalizing the consonants.
The Russian palatalized consonants [ï á', ô', â', ê', ã', ò À', ñ', ç*, ð', ì í'.ë'.õ', ÷', ffi'J.
The English fricatives [f, 3] and affricates [tf, <&] are also bicentral, being articulated with the front part of the tongue raised towards the hard palate. This secondary focus is front (the primary focus is formed by the tip of the tongue against the teeth ridge).
The English bicentral sonorants [w] and the dark [*] have the back secondary focus because the back part of the tcngue is slightly raised towards the soft palate.
According to the position of the active organ of speech
against the point of articulation (i. e. the place of articulation) consonants may be:
1. Labial.
2. Lingual.
3. Glottal.
1. Labialconsonants are made by the lips. They may be
bilabial and labio-dental. Bilabial consonants are
produced when both lips are active. They are: the English [p, b,
m, wj; and the Russian [ï, ï', á, á', ì, m'J.
Labio-dental consonants are articulated with the lowjer lip against the edge of the upper teeth. They are the English [f, vj and the Russian [ô,ô â, â*J.
2. Lingualconsonants are classified into forelingual,
mediolingual and backlingual.
Forelingual consonants are articulated with the tip or the blade of the tongue. They differ in the position of the tip of the tongue. According to its work they may be:
apical, if the tip of the tongue is active as in the case of the English' [t, d, s. z, J, 3, 9, d, ô, tf, n, 1].
dorsal, if the blade of the tongue takes part in the articulation , the tip being passive and lowered as in the case of the Russian [ò, ò ä, à', í, í ñ, ñ', ç, ç ÷', ö]; in English there are no dorsal consonants;
cacuminal, if the tip of the tongue is at the back part of the teeth ridge, but a depression is formed in the blade of the tongue as in the case of the English [rj and the Russian [p, p'J.
According to the place of obstructionforelingual consonants may be:
Interdental.
Dental.
Alveolar.
Post-alveolar.
Palato-alveolar.
Interdental consonants or interdentals are made with the tip of the tongue projected between the teeth: the English [9. d]. There are no interdental consonants in Russian.
Dental consonants or dentals are produced with the blade of the tongue against the upper teeth: the Russian (ò, ò', À, ä', c, c 3, 3', ö, ë, ë'].
Alveolar consonants or alveolars are articulated with the tip against the upper teeth ridge: the English |t, d, s, z, n, 1].
Table 4