articulatory setting

In PHONETICS, a global configuration of all the ARTICULATORS in relation to each other, which one adopts and maintains during speech; also called a phonetic setting. This accounts for some of the broad qualitative differences between LANGUAGES and DIALECTS, e.g. a characteristic NASAL twang, or marked degree of lip-ROUNDING. Phonatory setting is sometimes distinguished: a habitual setting of the LARYNX which results in such VOICE QUALITIES as whispery or CREAKY PHONATION. In the most general application, ‘phonetic setting’ refers to any tendency towards co-ordination underlying the production of a chain of speech SEGMENTS, so that a particular configuration of the vocal apparatus is maintained. It thus subsumes COARTICULATION, ASSIMILATION, VOWEL HARMONY and other such segmental features, as well as the NON-SEGMENTAL effects noted in relation to PARALANGUAGE and voice quality.