v. Phonetics. [f. LABIAL + -IZE.] trans. To render (a sound) labial in character; to ‘round’ (a vowel). Also absol. Hence Labialized ppl. a.
1867. A. J. Ellis, E. E. Pronunc., I. iii. § 3. 160. Round or Labialised Vowels. Ibid., 162. That (u) is almost (ə) labialized or rounded. Ibid., 163. By merely neglecting to labialise, (u, u) are converted into (æ, v).
1874. Sweet, Hist. Eng. Sounds, 74. The i has been gutturalized and labialized into u by l.
1876. Douse, Grimm’s Law, § 57. 140. The labialized K’s.
Hence Labialization, the action of labializing or the condition of being labialized; ‘rounding’ (of a vowel).
1867. A. J. Ellis, E. E. Pronunc., I. iii. 74. The vowels differ by the important distinction of labialisation.
1877. Sweet, Primer Phonetics, § 36. 13. Rounding,… a contraction of the mouth cavity by lateral compression of the cheek passage and narrowing of the lip aperture, whence the older name labialization.
