Re: Lateral/vowel coarticulation

Eric Christopherson wrote:

(moi--)
> > Aha, I think I've figured out what y'all are
> doing?? Put the tongue in position for [l] (tip against the
> alv.ridge, sides down-- if you just add voicing, you get an
> [l] but--), then pronounce a vowel sound. Yes it works; the
> vowel quality is odd (sort of muffled) because, of course,
> the shape of the oral cavity is different from the shape it
> has in the usual vowel articulation.  Is that it????
>
> Yes.
>
> (I think that, technically speaking, this is not a
> "vowel" because of the blockage of air flow... so
> I wonder what it *would* be called?)
The air isn't totally blocked, of course, it's getting out via the lowered sides
of the tongue and the upper teeth. A "lateralized vowel"??????? I wonder if
Ladefoged et al. have ever encountered this, or considered it....