Definitions

consonant

/konsnnt/

• noun 1 a speech sound in which the breath is at least partly obstructed and which forms a syllable when combined with a vowel. 2 a letter representing such a sound.

• adjective (consonant with) in agreement or harmony with.

— DERIVATIVES consonantal adjective.

— ORIGIN Latin consonare ‘sound together’, from sonus ‘sound’.

vowel

• noun 1 a speech sound in which the mouth is open and the tongue is not touching the top of the mouth, the teeth, or the lips. 2 a letter representing such a sound, such as a, e, i, o, u.

— ORIGIN Old French vouel, from Latin vocalis littera ‘vocal letter’.

diphthong

/difthong/

• noun a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable (as in coin).

— ORIGIN Greek diphthongos, from di- ‘twice’ + phthongos ‘sound’

Pronuntiation

kes•trel /kestrl/ noun a small bird of prey

phil•ology /f {I} l ${phon_capq}$ l {shwa} d ${phon_capz}$ i; NAmE l ${phon_capa}$ l/ noun [U] the scientific study of the development of language or of a particular language

crow

[OE. cráwe f., corresp. to OS. krâia, MLG. krâge, krâe, krâ, LG. kraie, kreie, MDu. kraeye, Du. kraai, OHG. chrâwa, chrâja, chrâ, crâwa, crâ, MHG. kræe, krâwe, krâ, Ger. krähe; a WG. deriv. of the vb.crâwan, crâian to CROW, q.v.]