SEMIVOWEL


Meaning of SEMIVOWEL in English

n.

Pronunciation: ' se-m ē - ˌ vau ̇ (- ə )l, ' se- ˌ m ī -, -mi-

Function: noun

Date: 1530

1 : a speech sound (as \ y \ , \ w \ , or \ r \ ) that has the articulation of a vowel but that is shorter in duration and is treated as a consonant in syllabication

2 : a letter representing a semivowel

Merriam Webster Collegiate English Dictionary.      Merriam Webster - Энциклопедический словарь английского языка.