tone language

noun

1. a language, as Swedish, Chinese, Yoruba, or Serbo-Croatian, in which words that are otherwise phonologically identical are distinguished by having different pitches or pitch contour.

tone language

noun

1. a language, such as Chinese or certain African languages, in which differences in tone may make differences in meaning

Word History and Origins

Origin of tone language¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

At this stage, however, or even before it, I think very probably vowel sounds must have been employed in tone language, if not also a few consonants.

From Project Gutenberg