Vocable
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈvəʊkəbl̩/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Vocable is a noun meaning (linguistics) A word or utterance, especially with reference to its form rather than its meaning.
Meaning
(linguistics) A word or utterance, especially with reference to its form rather than its meaning.
More Meanings
- (music) A syllable or sound without specific meaning, used together with or in place of actual words in a song.
- (linguistics) Able to be uttered.
Example Sentences
a vocable marker
At first the man puzzled; then he smiled. He pronounced a string of uncouth vocables.
Without words and almost with the seriousness of asylum nurses they at once set upon an unsavoury-looking matron who began to cry out Mediterranean vocables of distress.
Many Native American songs employ vocables, syllables that do not have referential meaning. These may be used to frame words or may be inserted among them; in some cases, they constitute the entire song text.
Word Forms
- vocables
Synonyms for vocable
Depending on context, synonyms include utterable, voiceable.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include vocalization, utterance, vocal, voice, vocule, uttering.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.