A cardinal vowel is a vowel sound that is considered to be a reference point for describing and categorizing other vowel sounds in a language. The concept of cardinal vowels was developed by the phonetician Daniel Jones in the early 20th century as a way to create a standardized set of vowel sounds that could be used as a basis for comparing and analyzing the vowel systems of different languages.
There are eight cardinal vowels in total, which are typically represented as points on a vowel chart. Each cardinal vowel is characterized by its unique position in the vowel space, which is determined by the height of the tongue, the front-back position of the tongue, and the shape of the lips. By using cardinal vowels as reference points, linguists and phoneticians are able to describe and compare the vowel systems of different languages in a systematic and consistent way.
The eight cardinal vowels are typically represented as points on a vowel chart, which is a two-dimensional diagram that shows the position of vowel sounds in the vowel space. The vowel chart is divided into quadrants that represent different aspects of vowel articulation, such as tongue height and tongue position. The cardinal vowels are positioned at key points on the vowel chart that correspond to their unique articulatory features.
The first cardinal vowel, [i], is a high front vowel that is produced with the tongue raised close to the roof of the mouth and the lips spread. It is typically represented as the highest point on the vowel chart, in the top-left corner of the chart. The second cardinal vowel, [e], is a mid-high front vowel that is produced with the tongue raised slightly lower than [i] and the lips slightly less spread. It is typically represented as a point slightly lower and to the right of [i] on the vowel chart.
The third cardinal vowel, [ɛ], is a mid-low front vowel that is produced with the tongue raised lower than [e] and the lips slightly relaxed. It is typically represented as a point further down and to the right of [e] on the vowel chart. The fourth cardinal vowel, [a], is a low front vowel that is produced with the tongue lowered and the lips relaxed. It is typically represented as the lowest point on the vowel chart, in the bottom-left corner.
The fifth cardinal vowel, [ɑ], is a low back vowel that is produced with the tongue lowered and retracted towards the back of the mouth, and the lips slightly open. It is typically represented as a point slightly higher and to the right of [a] on the vowel chart. The sixth cardinal vowel, [ɔ], is a mid-low back vowel that is produced with the tongue raised slightly higher than [ɑ] and retracted towards the back of the mouth, and the lips rounded. It is typically represented as a point further up and to the right of [ɑ] on the vowel chart.
The seventh cardinal vowel, [o], is a mid-high back vowel that is produced with the tongue raised higher than [ɔ] and retracted towards the back of the mouth, and the lips rounded. It is typically represented as a point further up and to the left of [ɔ] on the vowel chart. The eighth cardinal vowel, [u], is a high back vowel that is produced with the tongue raised close to the roof of the mouth and retracted towards the back of the mouth, and the lips rounded. It is typically represented as a point slightly lower and to the left of [o] on the vowel chart.
In summary, cardinal vowels are a set of reference points that are used to describe and categorize vowel sounds in a systematic and consistent way. By using cardinal vowels as reference points, linguists and phoneticians are able to analyze and compare the vowel systems of different languages in a standardized manner. The eight cardinal vowels are positioned at key points on a vowel chart that represent their unique articulatory features, such as tongue height, tongue position, and lip shape.