nasality
(neɪˈzælɪtɪ)
[f. nasal a. + -ity: cf. F. nasalité (1767).]
The quality of being nasal, spec. of utterance; an instance of this.
| 1776 J. Collier Mus. Trav. 25 A Clerk of the parish, who..has the finest nasality, or nose-intonation, that ever was given to Psalm tune. a 1794 Sir W. Jones Orthogr. Asiat. Words Wks. 1807 III. 284 The Indian sound differs only in the greater nasality of the first letter. 1815 Byron Let. to Moore 8 Mar., Why do you always twit me with his vile Ebrew nasalities? 1859 Trollope West Indies xiii. (1860) 197 A nasal twang..quite distinct from the nasality of a Yankee. 1872 O. W. Holmes Poet Breakf.-t. i. (1885) 18, I can reproduce phonetically its vibrating nasalities. |