Nasality Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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nasality

[หˆneษช.zษ™l.ษช.ti ]

Definition

Context #1 | Noun

speech quality

Nasality refers to the quality of a voice or sound that is produced with an obstruction or blockage in the nasal passages. This phenomenon occurs when air escapes through the nose while speaking, often causing a distinct tone. It is frequently associated with certain speech disorders, vocal techniques, or specific physical conditions. In linguistics, nasality can also influence the pronunciation of specific phonemes, imparting a nasal characteristic to them. Additionally, nasality is an important aspect in the study of phonetics and phonology.

Synonyms

nasal quality, nasal resonance, nasal tone.

Examples of usage

  • Her nasality made it difficult to understand her speech.
  • The singer's nasality added a unique flavor to the song.
  • He was diagnosed with a nasal condition that affected his nasality.
  • The voice coach worked on improving his nasality for better vocal performance.

Translations

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Origin of 'nasality'

The term 'nasality' originates from the Latin word 'nasus,' which means 'nose.' It traces its roots back to the early 19th century, when the concept of voice quality began to be analyzed in a more systematic way. The prefix 'nasa-' pertains to the nose, and the suffix '-ity' is used to denote a condition or quality. The word gained traction in both medical and linguistic fields as the understanding of speech and vocal characteristics deepened. As the fields of acoustics, phonetics, and speech-language pathology evolved, so too did the terminology used to describe various vocal attributes, with nasality being a key characteristic in these discussions.


Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #36,531, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.