diphthong English · revision 1082

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈdɪfˌθɒŋ(ɡ)/, /ˈdɪpˌθɒŋ(ɡ)/ ''(UK)''; /ˈdɪfˌθɔŋ/, /ˈdɪpˌθɔŋ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from Middle English ''diptonge'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|frm|diptongue]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate) [[der|la-lat|dipthongus]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|grc|δίφθογγος|tr=díphthongos|t=having two sounds]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[af|grc|δι-|φθόγγος|tr1=di-|tr2=phthóngos|t1=double|t2=sound, voice]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A union of two vowels pronounced in one syllable (about 1475 in Barnhart; 1483 in the OED).^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word was soon applied loosely to a combination of two vowel letters, more correctly a [[digraph]] (1530),^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) and to the ligatures ''æ'' and ''œ'' (1587).^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate) The Century Dictionary, quoted by Etymonline, distinguished a proper diphthong, in which both vowels are sounded, from an “improper” one, which is merely two vowel letters.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * about 1475 – ''dypon''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1483 – ''diptonge'', two vowels in one syllable.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1530 – a pair of vowel letters.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1587 – the ligatures ''æ'' and ''œ''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1846 – verb, to make into a diphthong.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A gliding [[vowel]] sound that begins with one vowel and moves toward another within the same [[syllable]], as in ''boil'' or ''fine''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(not technical)'' A [[digraph]] such as ''ea'' in ''meat'', or a ligature such as ''æ''.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[diphthongal]]

+ * [[diphthongize]]

+ * [[rising diphthong]]

+ * [[falling diphthong]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[monophthong]]

+ * [[triphthong]]

+ * [[digraph]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}