— sonantal /soh nan"tl/ , sonantic /soh nan"tik/ , adj.
/soh"neuhnt/ , adj.
1. sounding; having sound.
2. Phonet. voiced (opposed to surd ).
n. Phonet.
3. a speech sound that by itself makes a syllable or subordinates to itself the other sounds in the syllable; a syllabic sound (opposed to consonant ).
4. a voiced sound (opposed to surd ).
5. (in Indo-European) a sonorant.
[ 1840-50; sonant- (s. of sonans ), prp. of sonare to SOUND 1 . See SON-, -ANT ]