diphthong meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

diphthong

noun

UK /ˈdɪfˌθɒŋ(ɡ)/ · US /ˈdɪpˌθɔŋ/

Etymology PIE word *dwóh₁ Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Hellenic *dwi- Ancient Greek δι- (di-) Ancient Greek φθέγγομαι (phthéngomai) Ancient Greek φθόγγος (phthóngos) Ancient Greek δῐ́φθογγος (dĭ́phthongos)der. Latin diphthongusbor. French diphtongueder. English diphthong From French diphtongue, from Late Latin diphthongus, from Ancient Greek δίφθογγος (díphthongos, “two sounds”), from δίς (dís, “twice”) + φθόγγος (phthóngos, “sound”).

Human sciences, Linguistics, Phonology, Sciences A complex vowel sound that begins with the sound of one vowel and ends with the sound of another vowel, in the same syllable.

In Lang Belta vowels usually appear preceding or following a consonant (see previous examples), and as of now no occurrence of diphthongs or triphthongs has been attested.2021 October 5, Gessica Puccini, “Lang Belta: the Belter language from SYFY/Amazon’s The Expanse”, in Lingoblog:

Human sciences, Linguistics, Phonology, Sciences A diaphoneme realized as a two-target vowel in some but not necessarily all dialects.

Rare A vowel digraph or ligature.

And he might have written the name, also, with the diphthong æ, as well as the single vowel, in the initial syllable, throughout all the preceding forms.1854, Robert Bigsby, Historical and Topographical Description of Repton, in the County of Derby, Woodfall and Kinder, page 47:
An improper diphthong has only one of the vowels sounded; as, ea in heat, oa in coal.1860, Joseph E. Worcester, An Elementary Dictionary of the English Language, Swan, Brewer, and Tileston, page 12:

1 more example

The diphthong ae is sounded like ē (§7); that is, it has the sound of ey in they.1874, Theophilus Dwight Hall, A Child’s First Latin Book, John Murray, page 3:

Derived terms: diphthongal, diphthongation, diphthongic, diphthongization, diphthongisation, diphthongize, diphthongise, diphthongoid, diphthongy, falling diphthong, murmur diphthong, rising diphthong, spurious diphthong
Related terms: apothegm, glide, hiatus, ligature, polyphthong
Coordinate terms: monophthong, triphthong, tetraphthong, pentaphthong