semivowel

American  

[sem-ee-vou-uhl] / ˈsɛm iˌvaʊ əl /

noun

1. Phonetics. a speech sound of vowel quality used as a consonant, as (w) in wet or (y) in yet.

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semivowel British  

/ ˈsɛmɪˌvaʊəl /

noun

1. a vowel-like sound that acts like a consonant, in that it serves the same function in a syllable carrying the same amount of prominence as a consonant relative to a true vowel, the nucleus of the syllable. In English and many other languages the chief semivowels are (w) in well and (j), represented as y, in yell

2. a frictionless continuant classified as one of the liquids; (l) or (r)

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Etymology

Origin of semivowel

1520–30; semi- + vowel; replacing semivocal < Latin sēmivocālis half vowel

Example Sentences

The Germans, who used it as the semivowel y, have perverted it from its original power less than the English have done, who sound it dzh.

From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)

In roi the semivowel element precedes, in oil it follows.

From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)

Triphthongs with a semivowel both preceding and following.

From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)

It grew out of the Greek υ, a vowel, and no semivowel.

From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)

The effect of the semivowel y, taken with the instability of the combination ew, accounts for the tendency to pronounce dew as if written jew.

From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)