英语 英语 日语 日语 韩语 韩语 法语 法语 德语 德语 西班牙语 西班牙语 意大利语 意大利语 阿拉伯语 阿拉伯语 葡萄牙语 葡萄牙语 越南语 越南语 俄语 俄语 芬兰语 芬兰语 泰语 泰语 泰语 丹麦语 泰语 对外汉语

英语语法:104 When Is "W" a Vowel?

时间:2010-07-01 01:20来源:互联网 提供网友:因你发烧   字体: [ ]
特别声明:本栏目内容均从网络收集或者网友提供,供仅参考试用,我们无法保证内容完整和正确。如果资料损害了您的权益,请与站长联系,我们将及时删除并致以歉意。
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Grammar Girl here. Today’s topic is when a consonant1 is a vowel2. When I was out on my book tour, someone at the Third Coast Coffee Roasting Company in Austin asked me whether the "w" is ever a vowel. I was stumped3, but I promised to look into it. Guest-writer Sal Glynn generously took on the research project and created today's episode.

Before we get to his answer, something related to the e-mail newsletter came up in an audiobook I was listening to this week -- Undead and Uneasy. I'm finishing that book series by Mary Janice Davidson I told you about last week. In the newsletter, I answered a question about the plural4 of the word "bus,"  as in "school bus." It can actually be made plural with one "s" in the middle or two. "Buses" with one "s" is the preferred form, but "busses" with two "s's" is also acceptable.

A bunch of people wrote in asking if I was confusing "bus" with the word "buss" spelled with two "s's." I wasn't, but "buss" with two "s's" is another word for a big sloppy5 kiss, and its plural is also "b-u-s-s-e-s." I'd never heard the word before, and when I looked it up in the dictionary, I found that it is considered archaic6 or dialect. So imagine how surprised I was when two days later I heard the word in Undead and Uneasy! Here it is:

[EXCERPT]

How about that?

And if you want to sign up for my free daily e-mail newsletter and join in the fun of harassing7 me about possible errors, there's a sign-up button in the Grammar Girl section at quickanddirtytips.com.

Now back to Sal Glynn's explanation about the mysterious "w" vowel.

I bet you all remember the grade school line of vowels8: "a, e, i,o, u, sometimes y." Well, to this you can also add "sometimes w." The "w" came late to the Roman alphabet. Emperor Claudius tried to give this letter its start during the alphabet reforms, but the early version was dropped after his death in 54 CE due to spiteful rumors9 that the "w" only served the emperor’s whim10 and not the common good. (1) Anglo-Saxon writing of the seventh century revived the forgotten "w", this time in the runic script that took precedence in Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire.

The "w" is used in words that help us know where we are other than here, names the short-winged songbird known as a wren11, and gives us the question of "Why?" that nagging12 children use to drive their parents to encyclopedias13 and family counseling. These examples show how "w" is used as a consonant for its "wuh" sound -- "winged," "wren," "why," etc. But these words miss out on how "w" functions as a vowel like "y," though its not mentioned as often as "y." Both of these letters are consonants14 only at the beginning of a syllable15. Let "w" sneak16 inside a syllable and become part of a diphthong (more on that later), and it becomes a vowel. The double duty makes "w" not just an ordinary consonant but also a semi-vowel, also sometimes called a semi-consonant.

Phonetically17 Speaking

Where other cultures have gotten along just fine with writing systems based on pictures or signs, Latin-based languages like English come from human speech. "D" for example, looks like a "d," sounds like a "d," and stands for "d," not tree or ground squirrel or overcoat. The study of phonetics looks at how humans make sounds, especially speech, and helps determine whether a letter is a vowel or a consonant as used in a specific word. Consonants come from constricted18 or closed configuration19 of the vocal20 tract21. Think of the harsh sounds of "k," "p," and "t." Vowels come from an open configuration of the vocal tract and are much more musical (2).

Enter the Diphthong

Even the most straightforward22 of vowels have driven writers to perilously23 high flights of fancy. For example, French poet Arthur Rimbaud wrote, “I invented the color of vowels!—A black, E white, I red, O blue, U green (3).” Add diphthongs and the palette of vowels expands to include purple, teal, ecru, and even plaid.

A diphthong is what happens when vowels are combined to create a new sound, like the "ai" in "again," the two "o's" in "good," and the "au" in "author." One vowel is always more dominant24 than the other when they are put together. This makes for falling and descending25 diphthongs when the stress is on the first vowel, and rising and ascending26 diphthongs when the stress is on the second vowel. You can remember that dipthongs are made up of two letters because the prefix27 "di-" means "two."

"W" becomes a semi-vowel when it becomes part of a diphthong. You hear it most commonly in combination with "a," "e," and "o." For example, we have the "aw" in "claw," the "ew" in "few," and the "ow" in "show." Sound out the word where it's used to make the final determination for "w." If it glides28, it’s a vowel. If not, it’s a consonant.

A Final Confusion

Finally, is there a case where the "w" is a vowel on its own? Yes and no. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, this happens in the word spelled “cwm,” pronounced “koom” and meaning "a steep hollow at the upper end of a mountain valley." The word is originally from the Welsh, a Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages, and a language in which "w" is a standard vowel, not just a semi-vowel. English comes from the Anglo-Saxon and has clashed with the Celtic for centuries. "Cwm" is great to use in Scrabble games and for stumping29 your friends, but as an example of using "w" as a single vowel, forget it. Although it is sometimes used as an example of a word in which "w" is a vowel, it is more often used as an example of a rare English word without a vowel.

Now that you understand "w" can be a vowel, remember the quick and dirty rule is "w" is vowel when it's part of a diphthong, and a clue is to look for it when it's used in the middle of a syllable.

Administrative30

The Dog Walked Down the Street: An Outspoken31 Guide for Writers Who Want to Publish

Thanks to this week's guest-writer Sal Glynn, the author of the award-winning book The Dog Walked Down the Street, An Outspoken Guide for Writers Who Want to Publish. Find out more about Sal at his blog,...

That's all. Thanks for listening.

 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 consonant mYEyY     
n.辅音;adj.[音]符合的
参考例句:
  • The quality of this suit isn't quite consonant with its price.这套衣服的质量和价钱不相称。
  • These are common consonant clusters at the beginning of words.这些单词的开头有相同辅音组合。
2 vowel eHTyS     
n.元音;元音字母
参考例句:
  • A long vowel is a long sound as in the word"shoe ".长元音即如“shoe” 一词中的长音。
  • The vowel in words like 'my' and 'thigh' is not very difficult.单词my和thigh中的元音并不难发。
3 stumped bf2a34ab92a06b6878a74288580b8031     
僵直地行走,跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 ); 把(某人)难住; 使为难; (选举前)在某一地区作政治性巡回演说
参考例句:
  • Jack huffed himself up and stumped out of the room. 杰克气喘吁吁地干完活,然后很艰难地走出房间。
  • He was stumped by the questions and remained tongue-tied for a good while. 他被问得张口结舌,半天说不出话来。
4 plural c2WzP     
n.复数;复数形式;adj.复数的
参考例句:
  • Most plural nouns in English end in's '.英语的复数名词多以s结尾。
  • Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。
5 sloppy 1E3zO     
adj.邋遢的,不整洁的
参考例句:
  • If you do such sloppy work again,I promise I'll fail you.要是下次作业你再马马虎虎,我话说在头里,可要给你打不及格了。
  • Mother constantly picked at him for being sloppy.母亲不断地批评他懒散。
6 archaic 4Nyyd     
adj.(语言、词汇等)古代的,已不通用的
参考例句:
  • The company does some things in archaic ways,such as not using computers for bookkeeping.这个公司有些做法陈旧,如记账不使用电脑。
  • Shaanxi is one of the Chinese archaic civilized origins which has a long history.陕西省是中国古代文明发祥之一,有悠久的历史。
7 harassing 76b352fbc5bcc1190a82edcc9339a9f2     
v.侵扰,骚扰( harass的现在分词 );不断攻击(敌人)
参考例句:
  • The court ordered him to stop harassing his ex-wife. 法庭命令他不得再骚扰前妻。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • It was too close to be merely harassing fire. 打得这么近,不能完全是扰乱射击。 来自辞典例句
8 vowels 6c36433ab3f13c49838853205179fe8b     
n.元音,元音字母( vowel的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Vowels possess greater sonority than consonants. 元音比辅音响亮。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Note the various sounds of vowels followed by r. 注意r跟随的各种元音的发音。 来自超越目标英语 第3册
9 rumors 2170bcd55c0e3844ecb4ef13fef29b01     
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷
参考例句:
  • Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 whim 2gywE     
n.一时的兴致,突然的念头;奇想,幻想
参考例句:
  • I bought the encyclopedia on a whim.我凭一时的兴致买了这本百科全书。
  • He had a sudden whim to go sailing today.今天他突然想要去航海。
11 wren veCzKb     
n.鹪鹩;英国皇家海军女子服务队成员
参考例句:
  • A wren is a kind of short-winged songbird.鹪鹩是一种短翼的鸣禽。
  • My bird guide confirmed that a Carolina wren had discovered the thickets near my house.我掌握的鸟类知识使我确信,一只卡罗莱纳州鹪鹩已经发现了我家的这个灌木丛。
12 nagging be0b69d13a0baed63cc899dc05b36d80     
adj.唠叨的,挑剔的;使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评(某人)( nag的现在分词 );不断地烦扰或伤害(某人);无休止地抱怨;不断指责
参考例句:
  • Stop nagging—I'll do it as soon as I can. 别唠叨了—我会尽快做的。
  • I've got a nagging pain in my lower back. 我后背下方老是疼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 encyclopedias a88b1e8f5e10dbff92d83626a0e989f5     
n.百科全书, (某一学科的)专科全书( encyclopedia的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • However, some encyclopedias can be found on the Web. 同时,一些百科全书能也在网络上找到。 来自互联网
  • Few people think of encyclopedias as creative enterprises; but they are. 鲜少有人想到百科全书是创意的工作,但它确实是。 来自互联网
14 consonants 6d7406e22bce454935f32e3837012573     
n.辅音,子音( consonant的名词复数 );辅音字母
参考例句:
  • Consonants are frequently assimilated to neighboring consonants. 辅音往往被其邻近的辅音同化。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Vowels possess greater sonority than consonants. 元音比辅音响亮。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
15 syllable QHezJ     
n.音节;vt.分音节
参考例句:
  • You put too much emphasis on the last syllable.你把最后一个音节读得太重。
  • The stress on the last syllable is light.最后一个音节是轻音节。
16 sneak vr2yk     
vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝);偷偷摸摸做;n.潜行;adj.暗中进行
参考例句:
  • He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
  • I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。
17 phonetically d87214cef4a3ae303ea6cbcb14d32ef8     
按照发音地,语音学上
参考例句:
  • In actual speech, a phoneme is realized phonetically as a certain phone. 在实际会话中,音位总是以某个音素的形式得以体现出来。
  • Though phonetically alike, they are written with different ideographs. 虽然语音相同,它们的书写却不同。
18 constricted 6e98bde22e7cf0105ee4310e8c4e84cc     
adj.抑制的,约束的
参考例句:
  • Her throat constricted and she swallowed hard. 她喉咙发紧,使劲地咽了一下唾沫。
  • The tight collar constricted his neck. 紧领子勒着他的脖子。
19 configuration nYpyb     
n.结构,布局,形态,(计算机)配置
参考例句:
  • Geographers study the configuration of the mountains.地理学家研究山脉的地形轮廓。
  • Prices range from $119 to $199,depending on the particular configuration.价格因具体配置而异,从119美元至199美元不等。
20 vocal vhOwA     
adj.直言不讳的;嗓音的;n.[pl.]声乐节目
参考例句:
  • The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
  • Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。
21 tract iJxz4     
n.传单,小册子,大片(土地或森林)
参考例句:
  • He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
  • He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。
22 straightforward fFfyA     
adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的
参考例句:
  • A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
  • I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。
23 perilously 215e5a0461b19248639b63df048e2328     
adv.充满危险地,危机四伏地
参考例句:
  • They were perilously close to the edge of the precipice. 他们离悬崖边很近,十分危险。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • It'seemed to me that we had come perilously close to failure already. 对我来说,好像失败和我只有一步之遥,岌岌可危。 来自互联网
24 dominant usAxG     
adj.支配的,统治的;占优势的;显性的;n.主因,要素,主要的人(或物);显性基因
参考例句:
  • The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
  • She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。
25 descending descending     
n. 下行 adj. 下降的
参考例句:
  • The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。
  • The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置,然后再下山。
26 ascending CyCzrc     
adj.上升的,向上的
参考例句:
  • Now draw or trace ten dinosaurs in ascending order of size.现在按照体型由小到大的顺序画出或是临摹出10只恐龙。
27 prefix 1lizVl     
n.前缀;vt.加…作为前缀;置于前面
参考例句:
  • We prefix "Mr."to a man's name.我们在男士的姓名前加“先生”。
  • In the word "unimportant ","un-" is a prefix.在单词“unimportant”中“un”是前缀。
28 glides 31de940e5df0febeda159e69e005a0c9     
n.滑行( glide的名词复数 );滑音;音渡;过渡音v.滑动( glide的第三人称单数 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔
参考例句:
  • The new dance consists of a series of glides. 这种新舞蹈中有一连串的滑步。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The stately swan glides gracefully on the pond. 天鹅在池面上优美地游动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
29 stumping d2271b7b899995e88f7cb8a3a0704172     
僵直地行走,跺步行走( stump的现在分词 ); 把(某人)难住; 使为难; (选举前)在某一地区作政治性巡回演说
参考例句:
  • She's tired of stumping up for school fees, books and uniform. 她讨厌为学费、课本和校服掏腰包。
  • But Democrats and Republicans are still dumping stumping for the young. 但是民主党和共和党依然向年轻人发表演说以争取他们的支持。
30 administrative fzDzkc     
adj.行政的,管理的
参考例句:
  • The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
  • He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。
31 outspoken 3mIz7v     
adj.直言无讳的,坦率的,坦白无隐的
参考例句:
  • He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
  • She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎点击提交分享给大家。
------分隔线----------------------------
TAG标签:   英语语法  When  W  Vowel  英语语法  When  W  Vowel
顶一下
(0)
0%
踩一下
(0)
0%
最新评论 查看所有评论
发表评论 查看所有评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:
听力搜索
推荐频道
论坛新贴