This consonant has an intriguing nasal characteristic and quality. The sound n is able to represent strong gestures of antipathy and withdrawal. These can be powerful and sometimes come as a surprise.
N is a lingual sound resulting from the tongue being placed immediately behind upper teeth. Conscious use enables discovery of a dramatic style in the way we speak.
Lingual sounds have a quality of thinking. This is in contrast to sounds from the lips (labial sounds) which have a quality of feeling and those from the hard palate (palatal) which have a will quality - of action.
Along with b, d, g, k, m, p, t - n is an "impact" sound. Impact sounds are in contrast to "blown" sounds of - h, ch, j, sch, s, f, w. Dr Rudolf Steiner describes impact sounds as having a "closed form" encouraging us to grow into the sounds when we make them.
N has a quality of being able to be a short sound when at the beginning of a word and longer when at the end. It can also be colder when at the beginning and warmer when at the end. However, the intended meaning of the words containing the n can require these characteristics to be otherwise.
To represent the sound visibly, physically, as in the art of eurythmy, envisage arms outstretched in front with closed hands unfolding outwards fairly quickly.
Create a phrase with a predominance of n consonants. Speak it to experience the above qualities and characteristics.
Take the first two lines of Sonnet 33 by William Shakespeare:
Full many a glorious morning have I seen
Flatter the mountain-tops with the sovereign eye,
Here, there are many n consonants. Speaking them feel the length and warmth of this sound, particularly the opportunity for an appropriate extended length at the end of the word seen and sovereign (eye). Sonnets arise from inner experiences which give such powerful pictorial forms.
Dr Rudolf Steiner created forms of words, often without meaning as regards to content, to repeat as 'gymnastic' exercises. One is:
"Name neat Norman on nimble moody mules"
Repeating this many times enables us to experiment and work out how best to use our tongue and teeth to make the n sound. In this exercise the length of the n in Name is long.
In the attached recording I give how I form this sound.
Please tell me your experiences.
