sonant

American  

[soh-nuhnt] / ˈsoʊ nənt /

adjective

1. sounding; having sound.

2. Phonetics. voiced (opposed to surd).

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noun

Phonetics.

1. a speech sound that by itself makes a syllable or subordinates to itself the other sounds in the syllable; a syllabic sound (opposed to consonant).

2. a voiced sound (opposed to surd).

3. (in Indo-European) a sonorant.

sonant British  

/ səʊˈnæntəl, ˈsəʊnənt /

adjective

1. phonetics denoting a voiced sound capable of forming a syllable or syllable nucleus

2. inherently possessing, exhibiting, or producing a sound

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noun

1. phonetics a voiced sound belonging to the class of frictionless continuants or nasals (l, r, m, n, ŋ ) considered from the point of view of being a vowel and, in this capacity, able to form a syllable or syllable nucleus

Other Word Forms

• intersonant adjective
• nonsonant adjective
• sonance noun
• sonantal adjective
• sonantic adjective
• unsonant adjective
• unsonantal adjective

Etymology

Origin of sonant

1840–50; < Latin sonānt- (stem of sonāns ), present participle of sonāre to sound ¹. See son-, -ant

Example Sentences

Dr. Gutheil cautions that no accurate explanation is apt to be simple: more likely in Hinckley's mind was a dis sonant snarl of emotions and delusions, which in concert led him to Washington.

From Time Magazine Archive

It is classed as a surd spirant, its corresponding sonant spirant being v, which is distinguished from f by being pronounced with voice instead of breath, as may be perceived by pronouncing ef, ev.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 3: Estremoz to Felspar by Various

Ebhardt's suggestion that there are two significant parts in each foot-element, viz., sonant and pause, does not seem good.

From Harvard Psychological Studies, Volume 1 Containing Sixteen Experimental Investigations from the Harvard Psychological Laboratory. by Münsterberg, Hugo

Non planctus, non moesta sonant suspiria; pectus Singultans mulcet, lachrymantes tergit ocellos.

From Dr. Johnson's Works: Life, Poems, and Tales, Volume 1 The Works of Samuel Johnson, Ll.D., in Nine Volumes by Johnson, Samuel

It is a mute and labial, pronounced solely by the lips, and is distinguished from p by being sonant, that is, produced by the utterance of voice as distinguished from breath.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3 Atrebates to Bedlis by Various