A list of everyday sounds, and where they appear in languages other than English:
- Bilabial trill - When you blew a raspberry A bilabial trill is made when you “roll” a b or a p. Speakers of a few languages in Indonesia and New Guinea (Kele, Nias, Titan), Africa (Kom, Ngwe), and South America (Pirahã, Wari’) employ this sound.
- Pharyngeal fricative - When you were trying to clear your throat. Pharyngeal means you produce the sound deep in your throat, while fricatives are sounds that buzz. People who use this sound include speakers of Hebrew, Arabic, Galician, and a few North American languages.
- Uvular trill - When you were gargling. This particular sound is produced when you vibrate the uvula, located in the back of your throat. Uvular trills appear in many European languages, including French, Swedish, German, Dutch, and Portuguese.
- Alveolar click - When you tsk-tsked someone. Clicks are used in the Zulu and Xhosa languages in southern Africa, made famous in the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy. An alveolar click is made in the same place you pronounce a t.
To hear a live rendition of these sounds and more, check out this video featuring the author, James Harbeck.
(via The Week)
