Nasal vowel
A nasal vowel is formed by the velum is lowered, so that pulmonary air can escape through the nasal cavity and the oral cavity simultaneously. Nasal vowels are compared to the oral vowels, in which the nasal cavity is closed by the contact of the velum to the revenge back wall.
Nasal vowels with phonological character are typical of the French, they come phonematically but also in Portuguese, Breton, in the Sino-Tibetan languages , in Polish and Kashubian in front. Also, some German dialects (eg Schwäbisch and Bavarian ) use nasal vowels.
The spread of French as a world language in the 17th century, nasal vowels are entered together with the French foreign vocabulary in almost all civilized languages, including German, where the word restaurant is standard language pronounced with a nasal vowel.
In the phonetic nasal vowels are usually caused by a tilde ( eg [ õ ] for nasal o) in former times also by an ogonek ( ˛ ) under the vowel.
By nasal vowels nasal consonants are to be distinguished, where the pulmonary air escapes only through the nasal cavity.
Spelling and pronunciation
Portuguese
While in French nasal vowels the velum is always reduced from the beginning of the vowel on, it is in Portuguese after the beginning of the intonation of the vowel delayed the tongue base approximated without touching him. So often creates a diphthongischer sound. In contrast to French fin [ fɛ ] ( end ) Portuguese sounds bem ( adverb well ) more like [ bɛĩ ]. And the pronunciation of the letters in the group - in fim [ fi] ( end) actually rather [ FII ], differs only slightly from that of the group - inh - [- iɲ - ] in Martinho [ mɐrtiɲu ] ( Martin) is different. Accordingly, bom (adjective good) more like [ bow ] spoken and not as French bon [ bɔ ] (adjective good).
Polish
In the Polish nasal vowels are characterized by a Ogonek ( ̨ ): These are À and Ê. The ± is basically [ ɔ ], the ę [ ɛ ] pronounced; before closure sounds ( plosives ) but it is separated into [ ɔ ] or [ ɛ ] and the corresponding nasal consonants: to before b and p [ ɔm, ɛm ], before ć (ci) and DZ ( dzi ) to [ ɔɲ, ɛɲ ], in c, d and t ɔn [sic ɛn ] and, g, and k [ ɔŋ, ɛn ]. In practice, the vowels are nasal only before sibilants, the ą also at the end of words ( there is the ę as e spoken).
Kashubian
The Kashubian has two nasal vowels, namely the posterior nasal vowel à À and the front nasal vowel. The ± is always pronounced [ ɔ ], the ã [ ɑ ].
Indo-Aryan languages
In Hindi, all vowels come (in short: a, i, u long: a:, e:, i:, u:, u: , æ: , ɔ :) also nasal. Nasal vowels are very common, especially in plural endings. Even Punjabi and Bengali Nasal know.
In the Indian scriptures there are two characters for the nasalization of vowels: Chandrabindu ( Devanagari: ँ, m) and Anusvara ( ं, ṁ ). In Hindi letters with Chandrabindu are always nasalized, while Anusvara occurs before closure sounds and nasal consonants, a separation of vowel and nasal (see Anusvara ).