dorsal (adj.)

A term sometimes used in the PHONETIC classification of speech sounds, referring to a sound made with the BACK, or dorsum, of the TONGUE in contact with the roof of the mouth, as in VELAR (sc. dorso-velar) or PALATAL (sc. dorso-palatal) sounds. Some authors include other parts of the tongue under this heading. The term has developed a special status in PHONOLOGICAL theory, especially in various NON-LINEAR models. For example, in ARTICULATOR-BASED FEATURE THEORY, it refers to a single-valued NODE involving the tongue body as an active articulator. In CONSTRICTION-based models, it is defined as a constriction formed by the back of the tongue.