A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics David Crystal

cluster 81
clitic-climbing, clitic-doubling (n.)
see clitic
cliticize (v.), cliticization (n.)
see clitic
close (adj.) (1) A term used in the four-level classification of vertical tongue
movement in vowel sounds based on the cardinal vowel system, the others
being ‘half-close’, ‘half-open’ and ‘open’. It refers to a vowel made with the
tongue in the highest position possible without causing audible friction, as
in the articulation of [i] and [u]: the closest vowels in English are in words
like seat and shoot. The area of articulation immediately below ‘close’ is
known as half-close or mid-close, as in [e] and [o] (the nearest sounds in English
are in words like say and so respectively). In a three-level classification of
vowel sounds, the highest group are known as ‘high’ vowels (as opposed to
‘low’ and ‘mid’).
(2) A term used in the classification of types of juncture or transition,
referring to the normal transitions operating between the sounds in a word.
Close juncture is opposed to ‘open’ or ‘plus’ juncture; close transition to ‘open
transition’.
(3) A term used in the classification of types of jaw setting, referring to a jaw
position in which the teeth are brought closer together than normal; opposed to
‘open’ jaw settings.
closed (adj.) (1) A term sometimes used in the grammatical classification of
words to refer to one of two postulated major word-classes in language, the
other being open. A closed class is one whose membership is fixed or limited.
New items are not regularly added, as is the case with ‘open-class’ items.
pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, articles, etc., are all closed class or
closed system items, the term ‘system’ here reflecting the fact that the membership
of such classes is finite, the members displaying an interdependence of
meaning and use.
(2) A term used in the two-way classification of syllable structure, referring
to a syllable ending in a consonant; its opposite is open, where the syllable
ends in a vowel. This feature is sometimes referred to as a checked or blocked
syllable.
closure (n.) A general term used in phonetics to refer to an articulation
where the contact between active and passive articulators obstructs the airstream
through the mouth and/or nose. A ‘complete closure’ exists in the case of
plosives, affricates and nasals, and in the glottalic and velaric airstream
mechanisms. An ‘intermittent closure’ exists in the case of rolls, flaps and
taps. A ‘partial closure’ exists in the case of laterals. Some phoneticians
would include fricatives under the heading of ‘partial’ or ‘incomplete’ closure.
A narrowing of the vocal tract where there is no articulatory contact is
usually called a stricture.
cluster (n.) A term used in the analysis of connected speech to refer to any
sequence of adjacent consonants, especially those occurring initially or
finally in a syllable, such as the initial [br-] of bread, or the final [-st] of best.
Not all possible combinations of consonants occur in a language. Initially