spirant

English

Etymology

From Latin spirans, present participle of spīrō (“I blow”). Compare inspire, expire, respiration, etc.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈspaɪəɹənt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈspaɪɹənt/
• Rhymes: (US) -aɪɹənt

Noun

spirant (plural spirants)

1. (linguistics, dated) A non-sibilant fricative.
   • 1888, Joseph Wright, An Old High German Primer:

     Spirant consonants are those in which the mouth passage is simply narrowed without any actual contact.

   • 1955, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix E:

     The raising of the stem indicated the opening of the consonant to a ‘spirant’ […]

Synonyms

• fricative

Derived terms

• spirant mutation

 

Translations

alt term for fricative

• Finnish: spirantti (fi)
• Spanish: espirante f
• Welsh: cytsain grech f

Anagrams

• Partins, intraps, patrins, spraint, strap in, priants, Pintars

French

Adjective

spirant (feminine spirante, masculine plural spirants, feminine plural spirantes)

1. approximant

Further reading

• “spirant”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Latin

Verb

spīrant

1. third-person plural present active indicative of spīrō

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French spirante.

Adjective

spirant m or n (feminine singular spirantă, masculine plural spiranți, feminine and neuter plural spirante)

1. fricative consonant

Declension

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	spirant		spirantă		spiranți	spirante
	definite	spirantul		spiranta		spiranții	spirantele
genitive- dative	indefinite	spirant		spirante		spiranți	spirante
	definite	spirantului		spirantei		spiranților	spirantelor