word sound

English

Noun

word sound (plural word sounds)

1. (linguistics, phonology, uncommon) A particular essence or quality evoked by a spoken word.
   • 1852, Grace Greenwood, Greenwood Leaves, A Collection of Sketches and Letters, page 293:

     Browning has been called unmusical, and, judged by common rules, I suppose his verse lacks melody; but for me, there is always in it a sort of spiritual harmony, which overrules the mere word-sound, and renders him one of the most musical of poets.

   • 1873, I.N. Carleton, W.B. Dwight (editors), The Connecticut School Journal, page 9:

     Word sound is musical. It is characterized by the two leading essentials of a musical sound, rhythm and melody, while yet the other elements, time and quality of sound, are not excluded.

   • 1880, Mrs. R.R. Bird, “On Spelling”, in American Primary Teacher‎^[1], volume 4, page 5:

     Now we know that it is the faculty of recalling the word-picture, aided by remembering the word-sound, which makes the good speller.

   • 1917, Atul Chandra Datta, A Text-Book of Sound, page 1:

     Hence, whatever may be the sense in which the word sound may be used, there is no doubt of the fact that it is caused by the vibrations of the sounding body.

   • 1925, I.A. Richards, Principles of Literay Criticism, page 119:

     Many people are able to imagine word-sounds with greater delicacy and discrimination than they can utter them.