suprasegmental

noun, adj — 3 senses

suprasegmental

noun

/ˌsuːp.ɹə.sɛɡˈmɛn.təl/

Etymology From supra- + segmental.

Human sciences, Linguistics, Phonetics, Phonology, Sciences An effect on speech, such as length, stress, tone, and phonation type, that extends over more than one segment of sounds.

suprasegmental

adj

Etymology From supra- + segmental.

Of or relating to a suprasegmental.

There are two kinds of phonemes in Chinese: segmental phonemes, which may be thought of as sequential sounds, and suprasegmental phonemes or tones, which in a sense are added to the syllable as a whole.1984, John DeFrancis, The Chinese Language: Fact and Fantasy (nonfiction), University of Hawaii Press, page 42:

More than a segment.

Derived terms: suprasegmentally

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.