Who came up with the term approximant?
Peter Ladefoged
When?
in the 1960s,
What word was used before that?
frictionless continuant
What did that represent?
speech sounds that involve the articulators approaching each other but not narrowly enough nor with enough articulatory precision to create turbulent airflow
Are they fricatives?
no
What speech sound makes no turbulence?
vowels
What do languages frequently avoid?
they avoid configurations where a semivowel precedes its corresponding vowel
What does location within a syllable help distinguish?
semivowels and approximants
Can Italian have opaque contrasts?
yes
What about Spanish?
yes