CARDINAL VOWEL Meaning and
Definition
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A cardinal vowel refers to any of the specific set of vowel sounds that serve as reference points or building blocks for the classification and description of all other vowels found in human languages. These vowels are considered to be the most distinct, pure, and universally present sounds produced by humans.
The cardinal vowel system was initially developed by linguist Daniel Jones in the early 20th century as a way to standardize the description of vowels across different languages. It consists of a chart, known as the cardinal vowel chart, which displays a symmetrical quadrilateral shape with each corner representing a cardinal vowel. The chart allows linguists to measure and compare vowels based on their position within the quadrilateral, which is determined by their tongue height, tongue backness, and lip rounding.
The cardinal vowels are characterized by their unique acoustic and articulatory properties. For example, cardinal vowels are often produced with a very steady and unchanging vowel quality, without any noticeable glide or offglide. They are also produced with an open and relaxed throat, allowing for unrestricted and resonant airflow. Furthermore, cardinal vowels are typically described in terms of their primary articulatory features, such as the position of the tongue body and its relationship to the roof of the oral cavity.
In conclusion, cardinal vowels are fundamental and essential units within the study of phonetics and phonology. They act as anchor points for the analysis and comparison of vowels in different languages, providing a standardized framework for understanding the diverse range of vowel sounds found throughout the world's languages.
Common Misspellings for CARDINAL VOWEL
- xardinal vowel
- vardinal vowel
- fardinal vowel
- dardinal vowel
- czrdinal vowel
- csrdinal vowel
- cwrdinal vowel
- cqrdinal vowel
- caedinal vowel
- caddinal vowel
- cafdinal vowel
- catdinal vowel
- ca5dinal vowel
- ca4dinal vowel
- carsinal vowel
- carxinal vowel
- carcinal vowel
- carfinal vowel
- carrinal vowel
- careinal vowel
Etymology of CARDINAL VOWEL
The etymology of the word "cardinal" in the context of "cardinal vowel" comes from the Latin word "cardinalis", which means "principal" or "fundamental". The term was first used by Daniel Jones, a prominent British phonetician, in his book "The Pronunciation of English" in 1918 to describe a set of vowels that represent the extreme points in the vowel space. These vowels are considered the most prototypical or "cardinal" vowels because they help define the vowel quality spectrum.
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