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paralanguage

American  
[par-uh-lang-gwij] / ˈpær əˌlæŋ gwɪdʒ /

noun

Linguistics.

  1. vocal features that accompany speech and contribute to communication but are not generally considered to be part of the language system, as vocal quality, loudness, and tempo: sometimes also including facial expressions and gestures.

paralanguage British  
/ ˈpærəˌlæŋɡwɪdʒ /

noun

  1. linguistics nonverbal elements in speech, such as intonation, that may affect the meaning of an utterance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of paralanguage

First recorded in 1955–60; para- 1 + language

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.