murmur vowel
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A reduced vowel sound: A "murmur vowel" is a very short, weak, and unstressed vowel sound, specifically a schwa, that occurs as a byproduct of articulating a consonant, rather than being a full, intentional vowel in a word's syllable structure.
Usage
- The term "murmur vowel" is a technical term used in phonetics and linguistics to describe a specific phonetic phenomenon. It is not used in everyday conversation.
- It is used to analyze and describe the subtle, often imperceptible, vowel-like sounds that can be heard during the transition between certain consonants.
Examples
- Noun:
- The linguist noted the presence of a murmur vowel between the two plosive consonants.
- In rapid speech, a murmur vowel may be inserted, making "film" sound like "filum".
Advanced Usage
- Phonetic Context: In detailed phonetic transcription, a murmur vowel might be represented to account for the audible transition in consonant clusters, especially where the vocal cords continue to vibrate briefly.
- The analysis showed that the syllable-final /l/ was followed by a murmur vowel before the next word began.
Variants and Related Words
- Schwa (n): The mid-central vowel sound /ə/, which is the most common reduced vowel in English and often what a "murmur vowel" manifests as.
- The schwa is the sound of the 'a' in 'about'.
- Epenthetic Vowel (n): A vowel inserted into a word to break up a consonant cluster, which can sometimes be a murmur vowel.
- The epenthetic vowel in "athlete" pronounced as "ath-uh-lete" is a type of murmur vowel.
Synonyms
- Transitional Vowel: A vowel sound occurring as a transition between consonants.
- Excrescent Schwa: An extra, inserted schwa sound.
Related Terms (Phonetics)
- Voice Onset Time (VOT): The timing of vocal cord vibration relative to a consonant release; murmur vowels can occur during the voiced portion of certain consonants.
- Sonorant: A class of sounds (like nasals, liquids, glides) during which a murmur vowel is more likely to occur due to continuous voicing.
Noun
- a schwa that is incidental to the pronunciation of a consonant