- tone language
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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.[1905-10]
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Universalium. 2010.
tone language
Look at other dictionaries:
tone language — tone ,language noun count LINGUISTICS a language such as Chinese in which the meaning of some words changes when you say them in a different TONE … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
tone language — or tonal language n. a language, as Chinese or some Bantu or Southeast Asian languages, in which pitch variation is used to distinguish words that would otherwise sound alike … English World dictionary
tone language — tone .language n a language such as Chinese in which the way a sound goes up or down affects the meaning of the word … Dictionary of contemporary English
tone language — noun a language in which different tones distinguish different meanings (Freq. 3) • Syn: ↑tonal language • Hypernyms: ↑natural language, ↑tongue • Hyponyms: ↑contour language, ↑ … Useful english dictionary
tone language — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms tone language : singular tone language plural tone languages linguistics a language such as Chinese in which the meaning of some words changes when you say them in a different tone … English dictionary
tone language — tone′ lan guage n. ling. a language, as Chinese or Yoruba, in which words that are otherwise phonologically identical are distinguished by having different pitches or pitch contour • Etymology: 1905–10 … From formal English to slang
tone language — noun Date: circa 1909 a language (as Chinese or Zulu) in which variations in tone distinguish words or phrases of different meaning that otherwise would sound alike … New Collegiate Dictionary
tone language — noun (C) technical a language such as Chinese in which the way a sound goes up or down affects the meaning of the word … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
tone language — /ˈtoʊn læŋgwɪdʒ/ (say tohn langgwij) noun → tonal language …
Tone (linguistics) — Not to be confused with intonation (linguistics). Top tone ◌̋ ˥ … Wikipedia
