euphony
(ˈjuːfənɪ)
Also 7 euphonie.
[a. F. euphonie, ad. Gr. εὐϕωνία, f. εὔϕωνος well-sounding, f. εὐ- (see eu-) + ϕωνή voice, sound.]
a. The quality of having a pleasant sound; the pleasing effect of sounds free from harshness: chiefly with reference to combinations of words in sentences, or of phonetic elements in spoken words. b. In recent philological use often: The tendency to greater ease of pronunciation, as shown in those combinatory phonetic changes formerly ascribed to an endeavour after a pleasing acoustic effect.
| 1623 Cockeram, Euphonie, accent in words. 1680 Dalgarno Didascol. 114 (T.), Had the Grecians been as careless of euphony..in the terminations, as they have been in the initial syllables. 1727 Art of Speaking in Publick (ed. 2) 99 'Tis the same in speaking, as in Musick; Words for the Euphony of the one, and Notes for the Harmony of the other. 1773 W. Kenrick Rhet. Gram. i. §4. 13 (Jod.) The euphony of speech frequently interferes with the rules, founded solely on its significancy. 1822 Eustace Tour Italy (ed. 6) III. 18 Epopeus, now for euphony softened into Epomeo. 1865 Tylor Early Hist. Man. iv. 71 Their voices lose all cheerfulness and euphony. 1874 Helps Soc. Press. xii. 161 Euphony then is the mother of many lies. 1885 Perry Sanskr. Primer §38 The rules of Sanskrit euphony affecting this sound. |