A linguistic feature shared by languages in a particular geographical area, even though the languages concerned are not all genetically related. The movement of one part of the vocal tract towards another part to cause a constriction for the purposes of producing a speech sound. A part of the vocal tract capable in being used to form a constriction for the purpose of producing a speech sound. One of a pair of small cartilages of approximately pyramidal shape which are located on top of the cricoid cartilage in the larynx. Each arytenoid has a vocal process which is inserted into one of the vocal folds.
Various muscles connect the arytenoids to one another and to the cricoid cartilage.
Contraction of combinations of the muscles alter the position of the arytenoids in various ways. The position of the arytenoids is an important factor in the position and tension of the vocal folds themselves and hence the size and shape of the glottis. The quality of this vowel is front unrounded below open-mid. Weak cavity friction following the release of a sound, usually a plosive. Aspiration for plosives is associated with a relatively long voice onset time.