sonant

[ soh-nuhnt ]

adjective

1. sounding; sound; sounding; having sound.
2. Phonetics. voiced ( surd ).

noun

, Phonetics.

1. a speech sound that by itself makes a syllable or subordinates to itself the other sounds sound in the syllable; a syllabic sound ( consonant ).
2. a voiced sound ( surd ).
3. (in Indo-European) a sonorant.

sonant

/ 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

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

Derived Forms

• sonantal, adjective
• ˈsonance, noun

Other Words From

• so·nan·tal [soh-, nan, -tl], so·nan·tic [soh-, nan, -tik], adjective
• inter·sonant adjective
• non·sonant adjective noun
• un·sonant adjective
• unso·nantal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sonant¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sonant¹

C19: from Latin sonāns sounding, from sonāre to make a noise, resound

Example Sentences

Surdimū′tism, the condition of being deaf and dumb; Surd′ity, want of sonant quality.

From Project Gutenberg

The terms sonant and surd are, in a scientific point of view, the least exceptionable.

From Project Gutenberg

His hands moved quietly; his voice was clear and sonant; his words were few and polite.

From Project Gutenberg

Sonant melliflua hymnorum organa, suavissima angelorum melodia, cantica canticorum mira!

From Project Gutenberg

The sonant and the interval of each element were measured, and all the pauses except the stanza pause were recorded.

From Project Gutenberg