2 definitions found From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Spirant \Spi"rant\, n. [L. spirans, -antis, p. pr. of spirare to breathe. See {Spirit}.] (Phon.) A term used differently by different authorities; -- by some as equivalent to fricative, -- that is, as including all the continuous consonants, except the nasals m, n, ng; with the further exception, by others, of the liquids r, l, and the semivowels w, y; by others limited to f, v, th surd and sonant, and the sound of German ch, -- thus excluding the sibilants, as well as the nasals, liquids, and semivowels. See Guide to Pronunciation, [sect][sect] 197-208. [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]: spirant adj : of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as `f', `s', `z', or `th' in both `thin' and `then') [syn: {fricative}, {sibilant}] n : a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract [syn: {fricative consonant}, {fricative}]
Powered by Blog Dictionary [BlogDict]
Kindly supported by
Vaffle Invitation Code
Get a Freelance Job - Outsource Your Projects | Threadless Coupon
All rights
reserved. (2008-2024)