English Phonology
Activities
11-11-2009
1. Find the definitions of the following words in the oxfordref online and paste them into your webpage:
Consonant:
A basic speech sound in which the breath is at least partly obstructed and which can be combined with a vowel to form a syllable, contrasted with vowel .
Vowel:
Speech sound which is produced by comparatively open configuration of the vocal tract, with vibration of the vocal cords but without audible friction,
and which is a unit of the sound system of a language that forms the nucleus of a syllable.
Diphthong:
A sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel and moves towards another.
Usually contrasted with monophthong , triphthong .
2. From the OED insert the following:
Kestrel:
(
k
str
l
Philology:
The branch of knowledge that deals with the structure, historical development, and relationships of languages;
the historical study of the phonology and morphology of languages; historical linguistics.
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. Crow, n: Cuervo