Inhaled Sounds: Do Languages Have Them?

In phonetics, an ingressive sound is produced when the airstream flows inward through the mouth or nose, as opposed to an egressive sound, which is produced when air is pushed out. While most languages are typically egressive, there are several languages that use ingressive sounds. For example, in Norway and Iceland, the word for yes, ja, is often said while inhaling. In French, the word oui can be said with an ingressive effect, and in Japanese, an ingressive sound is used as a response to upsetting statements or as a sign of deference. In English, the word gasp is an example of a pulmonic ingressive sound.

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Japanese has an ingressive sound described as an apicoprepalatal fricative approximant

In phonetics, ingressive sounds are those in which the airstream flows inward through the mouth or nose. The three types of ingressive sounds are lingual ingressive or velaric ingressive (from the tongue and the velum), glottalic ingressive (from the glottis), and pulmonic ingressive (from the lungs). The opposite of an ingressive sound is an egressive sound, in which the airstream is created by pushing air out through the mouth or nose.

Japanese is not the only language with ingressive sounds. Speech technologist Robert Eklund has found reports of ingressive speech in around 50 languages worldwide, dating as far back as Cranz's 1765 "Historie von Grönland," which mentions it in female affirmations among the Eskimo. Several languages, including dialects of English spoken in Ireland (Hiberno-English) and the Scottish Highlands (Highland English), include an affirmative "yeah," "yah," "yuh," or "yes" that is made with inhaled breath, sounding like a gasp. This is an example of a pulmonic ingressive sound.

Other examples of languages with ingressive sounds include Khalkha Mongolian, where the words for "that/yes," "no," and "I don't know" are often pronounced with pulmonic ingressive airflow. In Swedish, there is a sound that signals agreement or "yes" that is made with a rapid inhale. In French, an ingressive sound is used to signify that something has gone wrong or that a risky situation is ongoing. In Vietnamese, implosive consonants are part of the phonological system, although they are not pulmonic implosives, so they are not produced by inhaling.

French has an ingressive oui and ouais

Several languages use ingressive sounds, where the air flows in during speech, rather than the typical egressive sounds, where air flows out. French is one such language, where an ingressive sound is sometimes used to express agreement. This is often written as "ouais", a more informal synonym of "oui", the French word for "yes". "Ouais" is often used in casual conversation, as well as in informal writing, such as texts, social media, and comics.

"Ouais" is pronounced with a rapid inhalation, starting with a staccato sound. It is a casual alternative to "oui", and some people may perceive those who use "oui" as being too proper or too shy. The use of "ouais" is more common in certain regions, such as Nancy, and some people consider it to be the way that most people talk.

The use of ingressive sounds is not limited to French. Swedish, for example, has a similar sound that signals agreement, and this is also found in English, where a sharp inhalation can be used to express surprise. Ingressive sounds are also found in Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, and Mongolian.

Swedish has an inhaled ja

In linguistics, sounds made by an inward flow of air through the mouth or nose are called ingressive sounds. The opposite of an ingressive sound is an egressive sound, which is when air flows out. The majority of sounds in most languages are egressive.

Swedish has an inhaled 'ja' (yes). This is a dialect spoken in northern Sweden, where 'yes' can be replaced with an inhalation alone. It is also used in standard Swedish, but the inhaled 'ja' is a weaker form of agreement than the spoken word. The inhaled 'ja' is used for backchanneling, which is when a listener responds to a speaker using interjections or other verbal or non-verbal means.

The Swedish inhaled 'ja' is not unique. Several other languages use an inhaled 'yes' or 'yeah' sound, including dialects of English spoken in Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, Newfoundland and the Maritimes in Canada, and the US state of Maine. In Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, words like "ja", "jo" (yes), "nei/nej" (no) are often pronounced with inhaled breath. In Low German and northern German varieties of standard German, an affirmative "ja" (yes) is sometimes pronounced ingressively, especially for backchanneling.

The Swedish inhaled 'ja' has been the subject of some online discussion, with some articles overstating how “unique” it is. However, finding accessible literature on the history and use of the Swedish inhaled 'ja' is limited.

English has an inhaled gasp exclamation

Inhaled sounds, also known as ingressive sounds, are sounds produced by the inflow of air. While most languages are typically egressive, with sounds produced by an outflow of air, there are some languages that feature ingressive sounds. For example, Swedish has a rapid inhalation sound that signals agreement or "yes". This phenomenon also occurs in English, where a "gasp" exclamation is the only word spoken while inhaling.

The "gasp" in English is a sharp inhalation of breath that often conveys surprise or shock. It can be used to describe a range of emotions, including astonishment, being caught off guard, or being gobsmacked. This inhaled exclamation is usually involuntary, but it can also be used intentionally for emphasis or dramatic effect.

While English primarily uses the "gasp" as its only inhaled word, other languages may have more complex examples. For instance, in Japanese, air is drawn in intradentally (between the teeth) as a taboo-avoiding way of saying "No way". This is similar to the English expression "Phew", which conveys relief or frustration, but with a stronger inhalation and no voicing.

In French, an ingressive sound can signify that something has gone wrong or that a risky situation is ongoing. This sound is similar to the English "Phew" but with voicing, resembling a casual "yes" or "ouais".

The use of inhaled sounds varies across languages and cultures, and while English primarily uses the "gasp" exclamation, other languages may have incorporated more intricate inhaled words or expressions into their vocabulary.

There are around 50 languages with reports of ingressive speech

Ingressive sounds are produced when the speaker breathes in, as opposed to the more common egressive sounds, which are produced when the speaker breathes out. There are three types of ingressive sounds: lingual ingressive or velaric ingressive (from the tongue and the velum), glottalic ingressive (from the glottis), and pulmonic ingressive (from the lungs).

Examples of languages with ingressive sounds include Japanese, which has an apicoprepalatal fricative approximant similar to an inbreathed 's' sound. This is used as a response to upsetting statements or as a sign of deference. Japanese speakers also use an ingressive bilateral bidental friction to begin a conversation or a prayer. Scandinavian languages, English, and Brazilian Portuguese also have ingressive sounds. In English, for example, the word “gasp” is spoken while inhaling. In French, the word "ouais" (casual "yes") is spoken with an ingressive effect. In Ireland and the Scottish Highlands, English speakers use an inhaled "yeah" to express agreement and show attention. In Norway and Iceland, "ja" can be said while inhaling, and in Sweden, "schvjo" is a similar onomatopoeic sound. In Vietnamese, implosive consonants are part of the phonological system, but these are not pulmonic implosives, so they are not produced by inhaling.

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