diphthong

Definitions

  • WordNet 3.6
    • n diphthong a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
    • n Diphthong (Orthoëpy) A coalition or union of two vowel sounds pronounced in one syllable; as, ou in out oi in noise; -- called a proper diphthong.
    • v. t Diphthong To form or pronounce as a diphthong; diphthongize.
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Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
    • n diphthong A coalition or union of two vowels pronounced in one syllable. In uttering a proper diphthong both vowels are pronounced; the sound is not simple, but the two sounds are so blended as to be considered as forming one syllable, as in joy, noise, bound, out. An “improper” diphthong is not a diphthong at all, being merely a collocation of two or more vowels in the same syllable, of which only one is sounded, as ea in breach, eo in people, ai in rain, eau in beau. (See digraph.) In Greek grammar, a proper diphthong is a diphthong the first vowel of which is short; an improper diphthong, a diphthong the first vowel of which is long. The proper diphthongs are αι, ει, οι, αυ, ευ, ου; the improper, α%26ι, ηι, ωι (commonly written ᾳ,ῃ,ῳ: see iota subscript, under subscript), ηυ, ωυ. An improper diphthong not usually distinguished as such is α%26υ, as in να%26υ%21ς, Epic νηυ%21ς. Some include υτ in this class, and some limit the term to ᾳ, ῃ, ῳ.
    • diphthong To sound as a diphthong; diphthongize.
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Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
    • n Diphthong dif′thong or dip′thong two vowel-sounds pronounced as one syllable
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Etymology

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
L. diphthongus, Gr. ; di- = di`s- twice + voice, sound, fr. to utter a sound: cf. F. diphthongue,
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
Through Fr. from Gr. diphthongos, with two sounds—di-, twice, phthongos, sound.

Usage

In literature:

Deprive him of his diphthong, when speaking of him to me, madam, please.
"Little Folks (November 1884)" by Various
The diphthong oi is the vowel o + the semivowel y.
"A Handbook of the English Language" by Robert Gordon Latham
A diphthong is the sound of two vowels in one syllable.
"The Comic Latin Grammar" by Percival Leigh
Kenyon, he declared, had directed that it should be 'Vita,' so that his estate might be saved the expense of a diphthong.
"By-ways in Book-land" by William Davenport Adams
Welsh diphthongs are much more numerous than English.
"Notes and Queries, Number 238, May 20, 1854" by Various
Mountaineers have peculiar difficulty with diphthongs: haar (hair), cheer (chair), brile, and a host of others.
"Our Southern Highlanders" by Horace Kephart
Use no diphthongs when they can be avoided.
"The Style Book of The Detroit News" by The Detroit News
Thus, an original a never becomes a diphthong (au, aw) in Old Breton, but remains o.
"Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5" by Various
For the semivowels and the diphthongs, see the sequel.
"The English Language" by Robert Gordon Latham
There are six diphthongs, expressed by an unnecessarily complicated notation.
"Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7" by Various
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In news:

Gherkin, Diphthong , Hornswoggle And Kerfuffle: Best Words Ever.
kunc.org
Gherkin , Diphthong, Hornswoggle And Kerfuffle: Best Words Ever.
kunc.org
Gherkin, Diphthong, Hornswoggle And Kerfuffle: Best Words Ever.
kunc.org
Gherkin, Diphthong, Hornswoggle And Kerfuffle : Best Words Ever.
wvasfm.org
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In science:

Diphthongs are avoided since they are considered to be nonstationary in the sense that the vocal tract resonances are changing with time.
Testing the assumptions of linear prediction analysis in normal vowels
Diphthongs are supposed to be generated by nonstationary linear dynamics, but perhaps a nonlinear predictor may model these dynamics more naturally.
Testing the assumptions of linear prediction analysis in normal vowels
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Related words