The spelling of "breathy voices" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first sound in "breathy" is a voiced bilabial fricative /b/, followed by a voiced dental fricative /ð/. The /r/ sound is a voiced alveolar trill or tap, represented as /ɾ/. The second syllable begins with the diphthong /eɪ/ as in "day" and ends with the voiced alveolar fricative /z/. The final syllable is pronounced with the voiced velar fricative /ɣ/ followed by the voiceless palatal fricative /ç/ as in "hue."
Breathy voices, in the context of vocalization and speech, refer to a specific quality or characteristic of the human voice where a person produces sound with an audible release of air during phonation. It is a distinct vocal style characterized by the inclusion of extra breathiness or a breath-like sound that accompanies the vocalization.
Breathy voices often result from a deliberate control of the vocal mechanism where the individual allows an increased amount of air to pass through the vocal cords during phonation. This modification of the normal voice production process leads to a perceptible increase in the amount of audible air flow, which in turn produces a soft and airy timbre.
Breathy voices can be achieved through various vocal techniques, such as slackening the vocal cords slightly to let more air escape, partially opening the glottis during phonation, or maintaining a relaxed state of the vocal folds. It is common in certain singing styles and musical genres, where the breathy and ethereal nature of the voice adds emotional depth or atmospheric quality to the performance.
However, it is important to note that excessive breathiness in the voice may also be an indication of an underlying vocal pathology or dysfunction, such as vocal cord trauma, vocal fold paralysis, or laryngeal disorders. In such cases, breathiness may occur involuntarily and adversely affect the individual's ability to produce clear and distinct speech.
The word "breathy" originated from the root word "breath", which can be traced back to the Old English word "brǣþ", meaning "breath, breeze, air". The suffix "-y" is added to form the adjective "breathy", indicating the presence or quality of breath.
The term "breathy voices" refers to the vocal quality or sound produced when a person's voice has an exaggerated presence of breathiness or audibly released breath during speech or singing. It does not have a unique etymology on its own, as it is a combination of the adjective "breathy" and the noun "voices".